Newcastle United defender targets progress and sets challenge ahead of run-in

Charlotte Potts has called on her Newcastle United Women team-mates to continue ‘striving to progress’ as they kept alive their WPL Division One North title push with a big win over their Bradford City counterparts.

Becky Langley’s side were in prolific form in front of a crowd of over 24,000 at St James Park as they hit their visitors for six to give a much-needed boost to their goal difference. Former Sunderland defender Potts and Beth Guy both scored twice and there was a goal apiece for Georgia Gibson and Rachel Lee as their side claimed a 6-1 win to keep up the pressure on current leaders Durham Cestria.

With three games of the season remaining, United sit points adrift of the frontrunners but with the benefit of holding two games in hand over their North East neighbours. With last weekend disappointing draw at Hull City firmly behind her side, Potts is now determined to carry the momentum into a crucial final three weeks of the season and bring a successful conclusion to the push for promotion.

She told BBC Newcastle’s Helen Hardy: “We knew we needed to come and play good attacking football and collectively we came and bounced back after that little knock last week.

“We showed the resilience, character and togetherness on the pitch today and I’m just so proud of each and every one of the girls. We focus on ourselves, the process, each training session at a time, and then when the games come, the results will take care of themselves. From today, with how collective we were, playing football simply, and from a technical point of view we are improving and just striving to progress.”

Next on the agenda for Potts and her team-mates is a visit to Leeds United next Sunday afternoon.