Durham are knocked out of the Subway Women’s League Cup at the quarter-final stage, losing 5-0 to Chelsea at Kingsmeadow.
Aggie Beever-Jones gave Chelsea the lead in the 21st minute before Oriane Jean-Francois’ strike from range doubled their advantage in the second half.
The WSL champions struck three times in four minutes as Erin Cuthbert, Guro Reiten and Maika Hamano added to the scoresheet with 15 minutes to go.
Abby Holmes made her milestone 100th appearance in a Durham shirt, whilst Adam Furness made seven changes to the team that lost to Charlton Athletic.
Tatiana Saunders was called into action four minutes into the match as Maika Hamano’s strike from the outside the box had the American at full-stretch.
Chelsea took the lead in the 21st minute through Aggie Beever-Jones who headed Ashley Lawrence’s deflected cross home from close range.
A tight offside call denied Beever-Jones a second in ten minutes.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd came close to a second for Chelsea in the 37th minute but her volley was just just over the crossbar.
Rylee Foster was one of two changes made for Durham at half-time, replacing Saunders in goal.
Chelsea’s second came in the 62nd minute courtesy of a first-time strike by substitute Oriane Jean-Francois outside of the box.
Erin Cuthbert got the Londoners’ third goal in the 73rd minute through another header from close range.
Chelsea captain Guro Reiten tapped home on the line for a fourth.
Hamano added a fifth for the hosts from a tight angle, lobbing Foster from a wide into the net.