Durham Women’s 2018/19 season ended in defeat – despite a dominant performance against Tottenham Hotspur.
A brace from Anna Filbey handed Spurs victory, in a game which Durham dominated from start to finish.
And that was despite having to play most of the game with ten players following an early red card for Beth Hepple.
While the Wildcats had little to play for, they took the game to their visitors from the off – Nicki Gears seeing a header saved by Chloe Morgan before the Tottenham stopper tipped over a rasping drive from Zoe Ness.
But the game took a real twist on 18 minutes when Hepple was shown a straight red following an exchange of views with the referee.
That didn’t stifle Durham though, who continued to dictate proceedings.
And they could have taken the lead were it not for two fine saves from Morgan – the stopper first tipping a powerful effort from Sarah Robson onto the bar before then clawing Emily Roberts’ goal-bound header out of the top corner and onto the woodwork.
The Wildcats continued to push forward after the interval, with Filbey clearing a Roberts header off the line before Abby Holmes sent a diving header narrowly wide at the far.
Spurs, though, were still a threat on the counter attack and substitute Coral Haines twice could have put her side ahead – first firing wide when through on goal before then being denied by a stunning reflex save from Hannah Reid.
A breakthrough did come for the visitors on 70 minutes however, with Filbey rising highest to meet a corner; her header squeezing in the bottom corner.
Durham huffed and puffed in pursuit of a leveller but failed to seriously test Morgan in the dying stages.
And Spurs made them pay late on, FIlbey grabbing a second with a diving header.