Durham Women failed to make their superiority count as they fell to defeat at Crystal Palace.
Palace raced into an early lead through Bianca Baptiste and Siobhan Wilson but from then on out it was the Wildcats in the ascendancy.
Becky Salicki pulled a goal back late on before Millie Farrow’s late goal on the break sealed victory for the hosts.
There were only four minutes on the clock when Palace opened the scoring with Baptiste firing home from the edge of the box after seizing on a loose pass.
But Durham reacted well with Danielle Brown flashing a shot wide and Sarah Robson seeing a powerful header held.
The visitors had a couple of penalty shouts too, with Mollie Lambert and Brown both going down in the box but with nothing given.
It was slightly against the run of play when the Eagles doubled their advantage – Wilson capitalising on a fortunate deflection before finishing well into the bottom corner.
Again, though, the response was good.
Lambert saw a low shot clawed away before Bridget Gallloway’s lob landed just the wrong side of the crossbar.
The one-way traffic continued after the interval with Durham seeing all of the ball and applying relentless pressure on the home goal.
Hepple sent a free-kick just wide and the midfielder then saw a powerful tipped wide.
Palace were a threat on the break though and Christon had to intercept to stop Wilson doubling her tally.
The introductions of Abby Holmes, Lily Crosthwaite, Dee Bradley and Salicki lifted Durham further and the side spent the second half camped in Palace’s final third.
Emily Orman in the home goal again had to spring to her left to deny Hepple and Robson headed narrowly over from a deep cross.
A deserved goal would eventually come with just ten minutes left on the clock – Salicki sliding home after Palace failed to clear a corner.
The hosts played down the clock in the final ten minutes as Durham continued to surge forward in numbers.
But they would land a late sucker-punch when Farrow slotted home on the counter.
Durham continued to push forward, but will now look to bounce back against Liverpool next weekend.