Durham Women registered a much-deserved first three points of the campaign with victory over Blackburn Rovers.
Saoirse Noonan netted a brace either side of Sarah Robson’s stunning strike to wrap-up the win, with Saffron Jordan’s goal a mere consolation.
The hosts were straight out of the traps at Maiden Castle and could have taken the lead inside the opening minute – Noonan’s cross just out of the reach of Rio Hardy at the far post.
Durham kept creating with Robson drilling wide from 25 yards before Maria Farrugia’s mazy run ended in a shot into the arms of Alex Brooks.
But a deserved breakthrough would come on 33 minutes – a short corner routine seeing Beth Hepple tee-up Noonan who fired an unstoppable effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.
And a second would come before the break as Grace Ayre’s cheeky backheel allowed Robson to power an effort across goal and in at the back post.
It could have been three before the break too – Farrugia saw an overhead kick cleared off the line before the same player was denied again by Brooks.
The second half saw Blackburn play with a renewed vigour, and they reduced the deficit to one when Jordan ghosted in at the back post to side-foot home from 12 yards.
Durham almost restored their two-goal cushion within seconds with Crosthwaite seeing a drive from range clip the crossbar, before Farrugia again came close with a volley from 20 yards which went narrowly wide.
A third would come and it owed much to the hard work of Noonan who applied pressure on Brooks before pinching the ball and smashing home.
Hardy then came within inches of making it four when she touched Hepple’s free-kick off the post, but three would be enough as Durham picked-up their maiden win.