WITH both sides battling hard and playing attractive football PNE finally got the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time. Mel Martin laid on a precise pass to Michaela Barlow, who blasted the ball home.

Durham were clearly more committed from the re-start and pressed hard, which resulted in an equalizer from a corner on 60 mins. Durham then turned up the heat and looked more threatening, and they hit the crossbar on 80 mins. Both sides battled really hard in the final ten minutes searching for the winner.

Mel Walker had a header deep into injury time just went over the bar. The 90 mins ended all square, and it was going to need extra time and maybe penalties to separate the sides.

Both sides were tiring, and it needed grim determination and heart to win this match, and both sides displayed plenty of that. Durham took the lead on 104 mins, which left PNE with an uphill battle.

In the second period of extra time as PNE searched for an equalizer, which created more chances, but Durham managed to break and grab a third on 115 mins.

This was a cruel blow for PNE, as they had given everything, and were about to be defeated for the first time this season. Durham got a fourth goal on 119mins, before Alison Taberner pulled one back from a well-taken free kick on 120 minutes but the scoreline still flattered East Durham.

PNE play Darwen in the league, at Bamber Bridge on Saturday, kick-off 2pm.

Final score: Durham 2 PNE Women 4