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London City Lionesses were denied an important point by an injury-time salvo on Sunday [18 September], with Amy Andrews firing Durham Women to victory at Maiden Castle.
While the Pride controlled possession and out-shot their opponents in the North East, the Wildcats scored on the counter-attack in the final minute to earn a hotly contested 1-0 win in the Barclays Women’s Championship.
“It’s a difficult game because they suffered a big loss last week and there is always a huge reaction to that kind of result,” head coach Carolina Morace told reporters at full-time.
“We tried to play our game with ball possession, but it doesn’t help to have a field that is turf because the bounce is completely different. We made many technical mistakes in the first half that we wouldn’t usually make. This isn't an excuse because it is the same pitch for both teams, of course.
“I felt that we dominated the game but didn’t create enough chances, with eleven shots and a lot of corners in the second half. We have to work on creating more dangerous situations as we move through the season.”
Danielle Carter and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah came closest to finding the back of the net for the travelling side, with both testing Naoisha McAloon from distance.
Grace Moloney also made a number of important saves, producing a high-quality stop to thwart Andrews as she raced into the penalty area for a one-on-one opportunity after the break.
“It is difficult to keep the morale of the players high when we have conceded late goals in the last two games, despite playing with ball possession all the time,” admitted Morace.
“It is very difficult to say something to the players and I am sorry for them and the staff. But that doesn’t have to take away our confidence, we just have to try to do our job better.”
The Pride return to Princes Park in a fortnight, hosting Charlton Athletic in the Barclays Women’s Championship. With Carolina Morace’s squad targeting a bounce-back performance, it's the kind of match you won’t want to miss.