Durham Women suffered defeat to Sheffield United in their latest Barclays Women’s Championship fixture.
Goals from Amy Andrews and Beth Hepple had put the Blues in front, but Tara Bourne’s header and Izzy Goodwin’s penalty brought the visitors level at the break.
And the Blades took control after the interval as a Jess Sigsworth strike and two further goals from Goodwin saw them clinch victory.
Claire Ditchburn made three changes from the side that lost to Watford last time out as Naoisha McAloon, Olivia Bramley and Andrews all made starts.
Skipper Sarah Wilson missed out through suspension after picking up her fifth yellow card of the season while Lily Crosthwaite was unavailable after picking up an injury against the Hornets.
The Blades started strongly and could have been ahead inside the opening five minutes – Rachel Brown breaking down the right and picking out Sophie Haywood, who blazed over.
But having survived that early pressure, Durham grew into the game and took the lead on 11 minutes.
Hepple’s through ball set Andrews away and she held off her defender before keeping her composure to slot past Fran Stenson.
And it could have been two moments later, Andrews turning provider and threading in Lauren Briggs whose low cross was turned wide by Hepple.
The midfielder would grab her next opportunity though, slotting home cooly after a Sheffield slip presented her the ball in the area.
But the Blades would reduce the deficit almost immediately, Bourne heading home Bex Rayner’s teasing free-kick at the back post.
They would find themselves level before the break too, Goodwin firing home from the spot after a foul on Bourne in the box.
McAloon then denied Goodwin from handing her side the lead before the break, saving smartly from a corner, but she couldn’t stop Sigsworth from slotting home moments after the restart – the striker finishing after advancing on goal when play looked like it should have been stopped due to a head injury.
That buoyed the Blades and Haywood saw a fierce strike tipped over by McAloon before Sigsworth skewed over from close range as they continued to attack.
And a fourth would come just after the hour mark as Goodwin scored her second penalty of the game after being brought down in the box.
Durham sent bodies forward in a big to get back into the fixture and Stenson had to make a fine save from Andrews, but it was the visitors still creating the better openings.
McAloon made another fine save to thwart Goodwin at point-blank range, but the striker would have her hat-trick in injury time as she sent a lofted strike home to round-off the scoring.
The results see Durham move to 7th in the Barclays Women’s Championship table, just one point above the Blades.