Just 14 seconds later, Nobbs turned around to celebrate after scoring the fastest goal of the WSL2 season.
Another more impressive strike before half-time doubled the Ladies’ lead, although they suffered a scare before Tegan McGowan halved the deficit in second-half stoppage time.
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Nobbs’ third goal of the season and second against the Saints gave United the lead after just 14 seconds.
Oona Sevenius won the first header from Fran Stenson’s long kick from the kick-off, the ball falling to Molly Pike who slipped past United’s number four on her first try before calmly rounding the keeper and firing into the empty net.
The South Coast game got off to a chaotic start with the home side squandering a golden opportunity to equalize when Atalanta Prims was left unmarked in the penalty area but she failed to convert a shot from the penalty spot that really tested Anna Taminen.
Saints continued to probe Newcastle’s defense, although their efforts were limited outside the box, with Mary Bashford’s 20-yard effort being tipped over the crossbar by Taminen.
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After a frantic opening 25 minutes, Newcastle began to take control of the game and began to press Southampton onwards when Emily Murphy ran through Freya Gregory with a high press, but the Scotland international’s fizzing shot was well saved by Stenson at the near post.
Both sides were in the game at half-time and United managed to turn the tables and double their lead when Nobbs scored for the second time of the afternoon.
A nice inside pass from Gregory opened up space for Nobbs to run forward and play a nice one-two with Murphy before taking a touch and curling a shot out of Stenson’s range.
Both sides slowed down the pace in the second half, with United comfortably allowing Saints to shoot from distance but often missing the target as the sky opened up and soaked St Mary’s Stadium.
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For most of the first half, neither side posed a threat in the opponent’s penalty area. However, the Girls continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack with the pace of Beth Lumsden, Gregory and Murphy.
With the final roll of the dice, Southampton pushed more players forward in an attempt to pull themselves back into the game. It almost paid off when Primus was picked out by Brazil at the near post, but a combination of Gemma Perfield and Taminen prevented her from scoring.
Despite a heroic effort minutes earlier, United were held back by a goal just before injury time when substitute Tegan McGowan burst in from the left and fired under Taminen from an acute angle.
Newcastle United Women: Anna Tamminen, Charlotte Wardlaw, Jordan Nobbs (Demi Stokes 87), Gemma Perfield, Molly Pike (Ashanti Akpan 77), Freya Gregory, Caitlin Tope, Una Severnius (Beth Ramsden 58), Lois Joel, Aoife Mannion (c), Emily Murphy
Unused substitutes: Claudia Moen, Shania Hales, Emilia Larsson