Becky Langley's side took the lead early on through Georgia Gibson, before Alice Keitley drew the visitors level in the first half.

After a cagey second period in which either side could have gone ahead, Niamh Reynolds struck late on to clinch three points for Forest.

Newcastle threw everything at the visitors' defence in the dying moments, but good fortune and a remarkable Emily Batty save denied the Magpies.

The Magpies almost went in front four minutes into the match, when Katie Barker twisted and turned down the left before finding Gibson in the middle. The Newcastle number ten's left-footed shot was turned behind by Batty.

But from the resulting Tyler Dodds corner, Gibson rose highest and headed into the back of the net, giving United the lead.

The visitors responded and looked to get on level terms and, after a well-worked corner, the ball looped off the head of Lindsey Harkin and onto the crossbar.

On the half-hour mark, Forest pinched the ball inside the Newcastle box and, after Keitley found Louanne Worsey and the forward's shot bounced on the post, Keitley reacted first to finish.

The hosts looked to regain the lead, working a good counter-attack that involved Hannah Greenwood, Gibson, Dodds and Amber-Keegan Stobbs, but Forest were able to thwart the United skipper.

At the start of the second half, Holly Manders turned inside the box and looked certain to get a shot away at goal, only for Naomi Bedeau to make a superb last-ditch sliding challenge to deny her.

Chances were at a premium in the second period and, after substitute Jasmine McQuade beat her marker in the middle, she curled her effort over the bar.

Kacie Elson was then sent into the box by Galloway, but her powerful strike was turned over the bar by Batty. Freya Thomas tried her luck for the visitors but her fierce effort went wide of Grace Donnelly's goal.

Langley's second-half substitutes made an impact, with new signing Beth Lumsden and McQuade both causing the Forest defence problems - the latter sent another well-hit shot over, as Newcastle pushed for the lead.

But it was the visitors who struck late, working the ball on the counter to Reynolds, who slotted the ball past Donnelly as the match entered injury time.

Newcastle threw everything at it to get a point from the match, but following Emma Kelly's free-kick and Nicki Gears' header, the ball fell to Bedeau, whose shot went over.

Gibson went for goal from distance, but the ball screamed past Batty's post, before the Forest keeper produced a remarkable reaction save to stop Galloway levelling with the final kick of the game.

Newcastle United Women: Grace Donnelly, Liv Watt, Charlotte Potts, Hannah Greenwood (Jasmine McQuade 57), Naomi Bedeau, Emma Kelly, Georgia Gibson, Tyler Dodds (Kacie Elson 57), Amber-Keegan Stobbs (Nicki Gears 80), Katie Barker (Beth Lumsden 72), Bridget Galloway

Sub not used: Cara Milne-Redhead

Report by Joseph Nelson