‘We always back ourselves’ – Durham’s draw with Manchester United no surprise to Wilson | OneFootball

Durham captain Sarah Wilson says that last night’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the FA Women’s Continental League Cup came as no surprise with The Wildcats having proved that they can compete with the very best time and time again.

The Wildcats took a point from a star-studded Manchester United team which was packed full of international players. Ivana tapped the visitors into a first half lead but Dee Bradley’s looping header brought Durham level early in the second period. The Red Devils looked to have the game won when substitute Ella Toone thumped one home from distance only for Beth Hepple to curl in a stunning late free-kick as the game ended 2-2. Manchester United did hold their nerve to win the resulting penalty shootout 5-3.

When speaking to FAWSL Full-Time after the match, Durham captain Wilson highlighted the quality shown by The Wildcats when playing teams from the Barclays FA Women’s Super League in recent years. Those past results always gave you a feeling that a shock might just be on the cards ahead of last night’s game.

“We didn’t look out of place against one of the best,” Wilson said. “The quality that they were bringing on was phenomenal. The goal she (Ella Toone) scored was just absolute class, you don’t save those.

“It was great to test ourselves against the top players again. We know the quality that we’ve got and we always back ourselves. We have proved against some of the top teams over the last few years that we can compete. We stood up to the occasion tonight, we had the crowd on our side which made a huge difference and it was fantastic to again test ourselves against the best.”

A record four-figure crowd was recorded at Maiden Castle and the atmosphere created by the fans was undoubtedly the best ever-witnessed at a Durham game. Wilson went on to praise the collective effort from everyone at the club to ensure that the occasion was a huge success.

She said “We make it tough for teams to come here but with that crowd it just adds that little bit extra. They really did spur us on, they were phenomenal, you could hear the roar when we were playing, it was amazing. Just those little cheers from the crowd and knowing that everyone was backing you was quality.

“I want to say a huge well done and thank you to the team behind us because tonight wasn’t just about us working hard and doing what we do on the pitch, it was about the team behind the team who worked so hard to get everyone through the door today, massive, massive credit to them.”

Last night’s draw means that Durham remain unbeaten at home in 90 minutes this season. The Wildcats return to action on 31 October when London City Lionesses visit Maiden Castle for a promotion six-pointer in the FA Women’s Championship. The game promises to be another thriller and tickets can be purchased now by clicking here.