Durham saw-out the 23/24 Barclays Women’s Championship season with a hard-fought win over Birmingham.
Captain Sarah Wilson’s headed effort was the difference on the day as over 1,000 turned out at Maiden Castle.
Durham made two changes from the team that faced Reading last week with Eleanor Ryan-Doyle and Ellie Christon replacing the suspended duo of Dee Bradley and Lauren Briggs.
Bradley is serving a three-match suspension after her controversial red card was confirmed after an appeal, while Briggs picked up her fifth booking of the season and is serving a one-match ban.
Taking to Maiden Castle for the final time of the 23/24 season, Durham settled into an early rhythm on the counter and dealt with a flurry of early set pieces from the visitors.
Early chances from Noonan and Andrews threatened the Midlanders’ net, with Andrews in particular finding joy on the left flank.
A short corner routine for the visitors Louise Quinn flick a header off the base of the post and Tatiana Saunders smothered any chance of a rebound.
Grace Ayre brilliantly blocked a strike on the line to deny Birmingham’s Lily Agg inside seven minutes of stoppage time in the first period.
It was Saunders who started brightest in the second half, claiming the ball from a handful of set pieces and wide balls to thwart Birmingham’s tentative advances.
10 minutes in to the second-half Ayre won a corner on the right-hand-side and after a six-yard-box kerfuffle was broken up by the ref, Beth Hepple swung the ball in. Skipper Wilson was the first to rise and meet it, nodding it into the top corner.
It could have been two moments later after Hepple and Noonan combined to play in Crosthwaite whose strike was parried by the Birmingham keeper.
Durham defended resolutely after going ahead and stood firm to clear the ball after Agg hit the bar for the visitors.
Andrews could have doubled the lead too, with her shot being stopped by the oncoming Thomas who was quick off her line. And Noonan also had a chance to double the lead, getting on the end of a loose pass only to again be met by Thomas rushing out.
Durham continued to pile on the pressure and had the better of the game in second half, finishing the season strongly in front of home fans. Andrews broke free in the dying moments of the game but was tackled well in the box before she could square to Noonan.