Phoebe Williams scored the winner as Hashtag beat Newcastle United 2-1.

Phoebe Williams was the hero as Hashtag United beat Newcastle United 2-1 to win the FA WNL Cup.

Substitute Williams powered home the winner midway through the second half, finding the net after superb work from Sammy Rowland to find her teammate in plenty of space on the edge of the box.

It proved decisive in what was a tetchy encounter that was perhaps typical of a cup final, with neither side able to control proceedings at Kenilworth Road.

Newcastle took the lead after 16 minutes through a Malika Apindia own goal but Hashtag levelled just two minutes later through 17-year-old Macey Nicholls.

And while both sides passed up chances after the break, it was Williams and Hashtag who took theirs to etch their name onto the FA WNL Cup for the first time in the club's history.

PHOEBE WILLIAMS @hashtagutdwomen 2-1 @NUFCWomen #FAWNL | #StartOfSomething pic.twitter.com/LTHPgZM7hw

- FA Women's National League (@FAWNL) March 23, 2024 The opening chance went the way of the Lasses, after Katie Barker was released down the left in space and her cross eventually found Jasmine McQuade but her shot was wide.

Newcastle then found the breakthrough just minutes later, Lia Cataldo burrowed her way into the box down the left and crossed which Apindia could only turn into her own net.

But the Tags hit back almost immediately, Nicholls superbly volleying home from the edge of the box after great hold-up play from Valentine Pursey to turn and cross from out wide.

After that flurry of action, both sides looked more settled but neither were able to fashion any form of dominance or chance at goal as the two teams also looked to contend with heavy rain in the first-half.

Newcastle came closest just before the half-hour mark, Kacie Elson riding a challenge as she surged into the box but her shot was poked wide after heavy pressure from Courtney Lumley.

Hashtag then looked to threaten though semi-final hero Sammy Rowland as she stole the ball off Potts high up the pitch before her shot was deflected into the path of Georgia Griffin, but her effort sailed comfortably over the bar.

@FAWNL LEAGUE CUP WINNERS! pic.twitter.com/EPfbkVBBMO

- Hashtag United FC Women (@hashtagutdwomen) March 23, 2024 Newcastle started brightly after the break and almost had their second after just two minutes.

Bridget Galloway released Elson down the right and her cross found McQuade who drilled her shot goalward on the half volley but it was excellently saved by Frankie Angel.

The Lasses kept up the pressure, McQuade slalomed past two defenders before slipping in Georgia Gibson, but she was denied by a sliding challenge from Lumely.

Angel was called into action again shortly after as Newcastle ramped up the pressure, this time saving smartly with her feet to stop Barker after she found herself in oceans of space inside the box following a delightful pass from Gibson.

McQuade was next to try her luck after a smart touch and half volley on the edge of the box but it was narrowly wide of Angel's goal.

Hashtag still posed plenty of threat and called Grace Donnelly into action after Rowland was played in by Griffin and sauntered past a defender before her shot was smartly saved.

Griffin then tried her luck herself from range but her shot was just over the bar.

The Tags then went in front with just under 20 minutes remaining, Pursey once again involved to thread Rowland into the box before the striker beat her defender and cut the ball back for Williams to slam home from just inside the box.

They almost had a third soon after as the ball cannoned around in the box but Pursey's effort was blocked by the Newcastle defence.

Newcastle pushed for a way back into the final and almost had one through Barker as she cut in from the left and unleashed an effort that curled just wide of the far post.

The pressure continued to build and looked like it would finally tell as Paige Bailey-Gayle was denied by a last-ditch challenge from Wiktoria Fronc with the goal at her mercy.

But Hashtag stood strong and held out for a famous victory to clinch the first silverware of the women's football season.

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