Durham Women were narrowly beaten by Reading in their final away game of the Barclays Women’s Championship season.
Jessie Stapleton’s second half goal sealed victory for the Royals – with Durham forced to play the majority of the game with ten players after Dee Bradley was controversially sent-off in the first half.
Durham were unchanged from the side that faced Crystal Palace in their last game.
It was the visitors who began brightly and Beth Hepple saw an early half-volley held by Jackie Burns as Durham committed plenty of bodies forward.
Tatiana Saunders then had to hold a Jesse Woolley strike after she found space in the area, before the stopper made an even bigger save to deny Maddison Perry after she found herself through on goal despite suspicions of offside.
There were then vocal penalty appeals when Sarah Wilson appeared to be bundled over in the area at a corner – before the big decision of the game came.
Bradley appeared to cleanly win the ball to stop a Reading counter-attack, only for the referee to surprisingly brandish the red card.
That didn’t deter Durham though who continued to press forward – Saoirse Noonan seeing a shot blocked by Brooke Hendrix before Mollie Lambert had a strong penalty appeal after lobbing Burns and being brought down.
The second half began as a cagey affair with the visitors limiting Reading’s chances while continuing to pose a threat themselves.
But the opener went the way of the Royals on 66 minutes – Stapleton bundling home from close range after a corner.
Keira Flannery and Charlie Estcourt had chances to extend the lead, but it was Durham who finished as the stronger of the two sides.
Eleanor Ryan-Doyle saw a shot held by Burns before the home ‘keeper tipped wide Lambert’s drive from inside the box.
Lauren Briggs twice came close as she looked to sneak shots home at the near post but, despite a string of late set pieces, Durham couldn’t find the leveller their play deserved.