FA Women’s Championship: Tottenham Hotspur Ladies 1 Durham Women 6

Spurs Ladies suffered only their second league defeat of the season after Durham Women ran out 6-1 winners in a game which also saw both sides reduced to 10 players on Sunday.

The Lilywhites had already fallen behind to Emily Roberts’ goal, before goalkeeper Chloe Morgan was shown a straight red card, leaving the home side one short with over 70 minutes to play.

A brace from Beth Hepple plus other goals by Sarah Robson, Zoe Ness and Chloe Ryan handed the visitors an applaudable FA Women’s Championship victory at Cheshunt FC.

Angela Addison had pulled one back for Spurs in the second half, before Becky Salicki was sent walking for the Wildcats following a second bookable offence.

The defeat sees Karen Hills’ team drop to fourth in the division, although they have a game in hand over Charlton Athletic and Durham who sit above them in second and third place respectively.

Striker Rianna Dean returned to the Tottenham Hotspur starting line-up after she was absent with concussion from the win against rivals Charlton Athletic Women.

Spurs were trailing Durham with only nine minutes played after Roberts fired the ball past Morgan into the bottom corner.

Eight minutes later, the referee showed Morgan a straight red for handling the ball outside the penalty area, while she attempted to clear an effort on goal from Nicki Gears.

It went from bad to worse for Spurs moments later when the resulting free-kick was blasted into the top right corner by Hepple to double the visitors’ lead.

Hepple got her second goal of the game ten minutes after to give the Wildcats a 3-0 advantage, leaving Spurs with a mountain to climb going into the break.

Within two minutes of the second half, Robson scored a fourth goal for Durham as she poked home the ball from close range following a free-kick, before Ness made it 5-0 a minute later.

Addison scored a consolation goal for the home side with a looping effort into the top right corner in the 53rd minute, which Salicki handled while attempting to clear the ball, leading to a second yellow card as each team were left with 10 players.

Ryan scored the visitors’ sixth goal in stoppage time, however, as Spurs were left heavily defeated by a clinical Durham side.

Tottenham Hotspur Ladies: Chloe Morgan, Ashleigh Neville, Renee Hector, Jenna Schilaci ©, Megan Wynne (Bianca Baptiste 46), Josie Green (Lucia Leon 76), Sophie McLean, Jessica Naz, Rianna Dean, Angela Adison, Sarah Wiltshire (Emma Gibbon 17).

Substitutes not used: Coral-Jade Haines, Anna Filbey, Anne Miewald, Wendy Martin.

Durham Women: Megan Borthwick, Ellie Christon, Abby Holmes, Becky Salicki, Sarah Wilson; Sarah Robson, Rachel Lee; Beth Hepple, Nicki Gears (Chloe Ryan 87), Emily Roberts; Zoe Ness (Kathryn Hill 61).

Substitutes not used: Lisa Robertson.