Lucia Kendall scored twice late on as Aston Villa Women beat Newcastle United 3-1 at Keys Park to give Brian Sørensen a winning start in temporary charge.
Lily Murphy opened the scoring before Oona Sevenius equalised, leaving the sides level at half-time in Wednesday’s Subway Players Cup meeting.
Substitute Kendall then restored Villa’s lead in the closing stages and added a stoppage-time third to settle the contest.
Last updated: 1 October 2026.
Murphy opens scoring before Newcastle respond
Murphy gave Villa an early advantage, but Sevenius’s first-half equaliser ensured there was still work to do after the interval.
Sørensen introduced Kendall for Maya Hijikata just after the hour, with Lynn Wilms and Chasity Grant also coming on.
Newcastle’s official match record confirms the substitutions and scoring sequence.
Kendall settles contest with late double
Kendall’s first goal broke the deadlock late in the second half. She then struck from close range in added time during a set-piece sequence in which Miri Taylor hit the crossbar.
The victory follows Villa’s 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest in their opening cup fixture, making it two wins from two.
It also provides an immediate positive following Sørensen’s appointment as interim manager after Natalia Arroyo’s departure.
Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Tottenham had underlined Villa’s difficult start to the league campaign. This result leaves their WSL position unchanged, but gives the team a welcome win to build on.
