SAINTS Women were denied a first Championship win since November 3 as Newcastle came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 in the final minute.

Substitute Amy Andrews scrambled home in the third of three additional minutes after Molly Pike had been denied by the crossbar.

Pike's first-half brace had Saints in the driving seat until the hour mark when Shania Hayles crashed in on the turn to set up a dramatic ending.

Fran Stenson appeared to have done enough when she tipped a late effort onto the post but Newcastle remained in pursuit of an equaliser and found it in the final moments.

Remi Allen named another youthful side, with winter loan signings Laila Harbert, Arya Dennis, Vivienne Lia and Georgia Mullett all starting. 

There was a familiar face in Newcastle's side as Freya Gregory returned to St Mary's having been recalled from her Saints loan earlier this month and subsequently sold to the visitors.

Becky Langley's side started quickly at St Mary's as Hayles had a header pushed away in front of the Chapel End.

Saints weathered the early storm and fired their first warning shot: Vivienne Lia racing behind and sending a shot over from a narrow angle.

Their next chance came less than 60 seconds later and yielded a greater result. Pike was on hand inside the six-yard box to turn in a ball from the right.

Pike, the most experienced player in a youthful forward line, ended her seven-Championship game drought before quickly adding another.

Her second was a thumping effort into the far top corner which left Newcastle goalkeeper Claudia Moan with little chance.

The hosts continued to push for a third, forcing experienced defender Deanna Copper to throw herself in front of the ball in the box, injuring herself in the process.

Saints were then dealt an injury blow of their own when Rachel Brown appeared to suffer a serious blow to her knee near half-time.

The right-back let out an audible scream as she went to the ground before clutching at her knee.

After a seven-minute delay, Brown eventually left the field on her feet but had to be replaced by Milly Mott.

Both sides returned from half-time with intensity and Saints should have scored a third when Lia raced through again but her effort was too close to Moan.

Newcastle made them pay for that miss a few minutes later as Shania Hayles cracked in on the turn to cut the deficit to two.

Saints rallied and had three great chances to restore their buffer, Pike crashing off the crossbar the pick of the bunch but a third remained elusive.

The woodwork came to Southampton FC's rescue twice in the final 10 minutes. Fran Stenson did enough to parry an effort onto the bar before a wild cross from the left struck the post.

That save was not enough to secure victory as Andrews fired through a sea of bodies to rescue a point for Newcastle in front of their travelling fans. 

Saints: Stenston, Brown (Mott, 41'), Harbert, Bourne, Peplow, Pike (Wilson, 90'), Dennis, Lia, Collett, Peake, Mullett (Palmer, 76').

Unused subs: Haaland, Muilne, Mallon, Roberts, Matthews, Udubhulu.

Newcastle United: Moan, Stokes, Stobbs, Hayles (Lumsden, 86'), Barker (Andrews, h-t), Gregory, Cooper (Greenwood, 33'), McQuade (Furness, h-t), Joel (Murphy, h-t), Wardlaw, Cataldo.

Unused subs: Donnelly, Hawkins, Sibley, Chapman.

Attendance: 2,598