Plucky Peterborough United's historic Women's FA Cup run is ended by a brilliant goal

Championship side Durham did dominate the ball as you’d expect against a team from two divisions lower in the football food chain, but they could find no way past a superb Posh rearguard which featured three outstanding performances from central defenders Lucie Mugridge, Evie Driscoll-King and Niamh Connor .

That defensive excellence presumably forced visiting midfielder Rio Hardy to try her luck from 30 yards just before the hour mark and she promptly thundered a shot home off the underside of the crossbar. It was a stunning strike and could easily have deflated opponents who had been pushed back on the defensive for most of a game played out in front of a terrific crowd of 675 at Bourne Town FC.

But Posh didn’t lie down. They struggled to retain possession, but they worked hard enough to make it a frustrating afternoon for a strong outfit.

After he goal Hardy was soon lining up a shooting opportunity from much closer range, only for Driscoll-King to appear from nowhere to make a brilliant tackle and that rather summed up the contest.

There can be no doubting the better team won as Posh failed to create a single goalscoring opportunity despite the willing running of skipper Keir Perkins, and rarely ventured out of their own half after the break, but the defensive discipline was mightily impressive. Home ‘keeper Neive Corry made one brave stop in the first-half and a few from longer range in the second-half, but a double figure number of offside decisions showed how good the defensive organisation was in front of her.

The playing surface didn’t help the spectacle – there had been a men’s game played in heavy downpours on the pitch the day before – but Posh benefitted most as the slick passing game of Durham was disrupted.

The visitors should have scored early on when skipper Beth Hepple sidefooted wide from close range, but timely interceptions from Jess Driscoll, Mugridge and Driscoll-King irritated the visitors almost as much as a busy assistant referee.

Durham stepped up the pace in the second-half, but shots were continually blocked either side of the superb strike that won the day and ended an historic Posh club run to the third round.

The final whistle prompted great applause from a crowd who recognised a superb effort against a high quality opponent.

Driscoll-King was named player-of-the-match, but it could also easily have gone to Connor or Mugridge.

Posh: Neive Corry, Kayleigh Aylmer, Niamh Connor, Evie Driscoll-KIng, Lucie Mugridge, Megan Lawlor, Jess Evans, Cassie Steward (sub Andreia Oliveria, 80 mins), Jess Driscoll, Keir Perkins, Tara Kirk.