Durham Women were unlucky to leave London empty-handed as they fell to a narrow defeat at Crystal Palace.
The Wildcats created plenty at Bromley but were beaten by a single goal after Annabel Blanchard converted from a corner in the second half.
There were two changes from the side that beat Sheffield United last weekend as Becky Salicki and Dee Bradley were handed starts – and Durham began brightly.
Beth Hepple saw an early curler held by Fran Kitching in the Palace goal before Lauren Briggs sent a long-range effort over after good work from Mollie Lambert.
Durham’s high-press saw them create plenty and Saoirse Noonan was the next to come close, forcing Kitching into a fingertip save after advancing into the box.
It was the visitors seeing most of the ball and they regularly found themselves in good positions while asking serious questions of the Eagles.
But Palace remained a threat on the break with Blanchard twice firing wide after incisive counter-attacks.
And it was the hosts who finished the half the stronger of the two sides and they came agonisingly close to taking the lead when Paige Bailey-Gayle found herself clear through, only to slot narrowly past the far post.
They continued to pose a threat after the restart with Naoisha McAloon making two fine stops – first to claw away Blanchard’s strike before then denying Coral Haines from close range.
The hosts wouldn’t have to wait long to make the breakthrough though as, from the resultant corner, Blanchard steered the ball home as Palace made the most of their spell of dominance.
Durham made a triple change in an attempt to find a way back in the game and two of the introductions – Poppy Pritchard and Rio Hardy – combined as the former found the latter whose low shot was saved.
Pritchard then saw a shot bravely blocked by Lizzie Waldie before another substitute, Bridget Galloway, was denied by a late goal-line clearance as Durham laid siege on the home goal.
But there were to be no late heroics, as Palace saw out the game and an extended period of injury time.