Durham Women were left with nothing to show from their trip to Sheffield United – despite a promising performance.
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk’s second half brace was enough for the Blades to claim victory, but the result wasn’t fully indicative of a game in which the visitors carved out a number of key opportunities.
Indeed, it was Durham who started brightest and almost took the lead with eight minutes on the clock – Jess Clarke seeing a curling effort acrobatically tipped over by Bethan Davies.
The Sheffield stopper was the busier of the two ‘keepers throughout and had to hold a Becky Salicki header after a goalmouth scramble as Durham continued to apply the pressure.
Beth Hepple then sent a volley wide after another good spell of pressure, with the midfielder then agonisingly close to connect with Clarke’s teasing cross that flashed across the face of goal.
Sheffield remained a threat and produced a similar chance of their own moments later – Chene Muir just unable to convert Sweetman-Kirk’s delivery.
The first half was dominated by Durham, but they would find themselves behind just six minutes after the restart.
Sweetman-Kirk was afforded some space out wide and delivered a curling effort into the top corner.
That buoyed the visitors with Clarke seeing a volley charged down at the back post before Saoirse Noonan fired wide on the turn as Durham looked for an immediate response.
Noonan would then come even closer to opening the scoring when she took aim from range, only to see Davies spectacularly tip her strike onto the bar.
And that save would prove crucial when Sweetman-Kirk doubled Sheffield’s lead – lobbing home after springing the offside trap.
Durham continued to show plenty of endeavour after that, but failed to forge any meaningful chances late on.