A TENSE, error-strewn afternoon at the Silverlake ends level as Saints halt their losing run.
It was a cagey affair at the Silverlake Stadium this afternoon as Southampton and Durham shared the points in a hard-fought 1–1 draw in the Barclays Women’s Super League 2, with both goals coming from defensive lapses rather than crafted brilliance.
It was Durham who struck first inside ten minutes. A moment of hesitation at the back proved costly as Ellie Hack misjudged the danger, allowing Beth Hepple to pounce and slot beyond Fran Stenson against the run of play, and yet another moment Saints would look back on with frustration.
Southampton responded with determination rather than deflation. Ellie Brazil and Aimee Palmer both went close, while Stenson kept the deficit at one with a superb close-range stop from Mollie Lambert after Durham carved Saints open on the counter. Saints pushed and pressed, but went into the break still trailing by a single goal.
The equaliser, however, came swiftly after the restart and with it, a release of tension around the Silverlake. In the 52nd minute, substitute Amy Goddard found herself unexpectedly high on the right flank and delivered a pinpoint cross. Captain Atlanta Primus arrived at the perfect moment, driving the ball home to make it 1–1 and ignite the home crowd of 1,320.
From there, the momentum belonged almost entirely to Southampton. Michaela McAlonie was at the heart of everything, twice testing Catriona Sheppard from distance as Saints’ second-half pressure ratcheted up. Mary Bashford also came close after clever work from McAlonie on the right, but Sheppard held firm.
As stoppage time arrived six added minutes the hosts turned the screws. A flurry of late corners almost produced the winner first Tara Bourne saw her looping delivery tipped away, then Jess Simpson forced another reflex save with an in-swinging set piece. But Durham clung on under heavy pressure and ensured the points were shared.
A frustrating result in some regards for Southampton given their dominance after the break, yet one that halts their run of defeats and shows clear signs of improvement. For Durham, it’s another solid defensive display that earns them a valuable point on the road.
Both sides will feel they could have won it. Neither will be entirely disappointed with the 1–1 outcome.
Southampton: Fran Stenson 22 , Tara Bourne 6 , Ellie Brazil 7 (Tucker 86′), Chloe Peplow 8 (Akpan 90+3′), Michaela Maclonie 10, Maria Edwards 12 (Ferguson 46′), Ellie Hack 15 (Goddard 42′), , Jess Simpson 19, Atlanta Primus (C) 20, Megan Collet 23 (Mott 69′), Aimee Palmer 66 (Bashford 69′) .
Subs : Pettit, Mott, Goddard, Watts, Akpan, Roberts, Bashford, Ferguson, Tucker
Goals: Primus (52′).
Head Coach: Adam Furness
Durham : Catriona Sheppard 35 , Grace Ayre 2 , Lauren Briggs 3 (Robson 90+8′) , Tyler Toland 4 , Sarah Wilson (C) 5, Beth Hepple 7 , Mollie Lambert 8 , Hannah Blake 10 (Jones 81′) , Poppy Pritchard 15 (Watson 90′) , Mariana Speckmaier 17, Michaela Foster 20
Subs : King , Robson , Watson , Grant , Ede , Wilson , McFarland , Jones
Head Coach: Simon Parker
Attendance: 1320.
