Battling Lewes lose out to Durham in FA Women’s Championship

Three late goals gave Durham a winning start in their first FA Women’s Championship match at their new Maiden Castle home against a battling Lewes.
Lewes' Sammy QuayleLewes' Sammy Quayle
Lewes' Sammy Quayle

Beth Hepple’s 79th-minute penalty put the Wildcats on their way with her stoppage-time corner and an even later strike by Emily Roberts adding gloss to the victory.

The 3-0 scoreline flattered the hosts and was harsh on new-look Lewes, who will take great heart from a fine performance in their season opener.

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Lewes had the first shot of the contest with Durham keeper Megan Borthwick comfortably holding Filippa Savva's crisp shot.

Durham had the bulk of the first-half play with wing-back Holmes a threat down the left with Hepple pulling the strings in the middle.

The Wildcats should have taken the lead from a Holmes cross, only for Roberts to head wide.

Tatiana Saunders was tested when Molly Sharpe fired in a low shot, with the keeper getting down well, but the Lewes stopper was powerless to get to Ellie Christon's stunner which thundered back off the bar in the 42nd minute.

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Play was just as competitive after the break, but the deadlock was broken 11 minutes from time when Holmes went down from Sammy Quayle’s ill-timed challenge and Hepple’s low penalty went in via the post.

Deep in stoppage time, Hepple’s corner from the left went all the way into the away net to double her side’s total for the afternoon, taking her season tally to three in the process.

Durham had produced a fine last 15 minutes but there was still time for one more moment of magic deep in added time.

That came courtesy of Roberts, cutting in from the left and firing a superb shot past the despairing Saunders dive to wrap up a fine win for the hosts.

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WHAT THEY SAID

Durham goal-scorer, back after a long-term injury, said: “Lewes played really well, they made it very difficult to break them down, so it was nice to finally get to break them down at the end and get all three points.

“We maybe should have scored from a few of our other chances, but that’s football.

“It was nice for me to get the goal right at the end but just great to be back playing again.

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“When you’ve been out for the length of time I’ve been out, you wonder if you are going to be fit enough or if you are going to be able to fit into the team so it’s a relief that I’ve been able to do that.

“It was nice to push on from last week’s draw at Liverpool where we did well to earn our point and we’ve got three now today.

“It was fantastic to win at our first game at Maiden Castle, it’s a great pitch.”

Lews keeper Tatiana Saunders said: “I’m really proud of the girls and how we played in our first game of the season.

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“We held Durham off for so long but we have to make sure the next time we go 1-0 down that we respond a little better.

“I saw some comments before the game that we were going to lose 7-0, and I think the prediction of us winning 1-0 was the same odds as us losing 7-0!

“We have a lot of things to take from this game and a free weekend coming up to work on things before playing Coventry at home so we’re really excited about that game.

“We’re a deep and talented squad and we’re going to keep building.

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“There are some things we’ll look to improve on, but we’ll take tons of positives from this performance.”

Durham (3-5-2): Megan Borthwick, Sarah Wilson, Kathryn Hill, Becky Salicki, Ellie Christon, Sarah Robson, Beth Hepple, Lauren Briggs, Abby Holmes, Molly Sharpe, Emily Roberts

Substitutes: Nicki Gears for Christon 63, Bridget Galloway for Sharpe 63, Mollie Lambert for Briggs 75

Substitute not used: Brooke Mackain

Goals: Hepple 75 (pen), 90+3, Roberts 90+4

Bookings: Wilson 61, Holmes 75

Lewes (4-3-3): Tatiana Saunders, Sammy Quayle, Ellie Hack, Nicola Cousins, Sophie O'Rourke, Hannah Griffin, Filippa Savva, Ellie Noble, Simran Jhamat, Georgia Timms, Ellie Leek

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Substitutes: Katie Rood for Griffin 56, Emma Jones for Jhamat 56, Danni Lane for Noble 70, Emily Donovan for Leek 70, Megan Mackey for Timms 77

Substitutes not used: Rhian Cleverly, Laura Hartley

Bookings: Jhamat 38

Referee: James Westgate

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