Gypsum board liner providing improved combination of wet adhesion and strength

A gypsum board comprising a gypsum core sandwiched between and adhered to first and second sheet-like liners which form the outer surfaces of the gypsum board, wherein at least the first liner comprises a thermally bonded nonwoven sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface and comprising a mixture of higher-melting fibers and binder fibers, the binder fibers comprising a first lower-melting polymeric component comprising at least a portion of the peripheral surface thereof, the first lower-melting polymeric component flowing or softening sufficiently during thermal bonding to form thermal bonds at fiber cross-over points, the higher-melting fibers comprising one or more higher-melting polymeric components which do not substantially melt or soften during the thermal bonding process, and wherein the inner surface of the thermally bonded nonwoven is mechanically worked after thermal bonding to provide a higher wet bond strength between the gypsum core and the liner than would have been achieved in the absence of the mechanical working step.