Ellie urges Durham Women to up the concentration levels

First-half goals from Beth Hepple and Jordan Atkinson at New Ferens Park ensured Durham made it three games unbeaten.

The visitors fought back in the second half and grabbed a goal from Ella Franklin-Fraiture but Durham were able to hold on and secure all three points.

Christon said: “I think it was a tough game. We played really well in the first half and played some really good football and combined really well.

“I thought we dominated. We should have put it to bed in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half. We rode our luck a bit but we managed to get the three points so we are happy.

“We tried to take the positives from the first half and continue them into the second but when we conceded that goal we didn’t play well from then on.

“We managed to grind it out but maybe it is a lack of concentration coming out in the second half. We will try to put that to bed in the next game and play for 90 minutes.”

Beth Hepple broke the deadlock in the 20th minute from the spot, after Jess Frampton bundled over Atkinson on the right hand side of penalty area.

And when Sarah McFadden’s shot was parried by Demi Lambourne 14 minutes later, Atkinson was able to slot home the rebound.

United were more prominent in the second period and chipped away at the deficit in the 66th minute, when Franklin-Fraiture bundled the ball home after Helen Alderson failed to grab the ball under pressure.

But it wasn’t enough to deny the hosts victory as Oxford made it one win from eight.

Defender Madison Lee said: “I thought we started off a bit slow in the game. They are a decent side and we knew what we were going into. We had a plan and we didn’t execute it.

“We had our heads down for a bit, but we came back strong in the second half. I thought we were unlucky with the goals [we conceded] but we learn from that and take what we can from it.

“in the second half I thought we started on the front foot which was good but it just wasn’t good enough today. We all tried and put effort in.

“It is up to the girls at the end of the day. They (the coaching staff) can say what they want to us but it is about what we put out on the pitch and us working for each other and playing together, playing through the midfield and wanting to get on the ball and make a difference.”

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