Liverpool kicked off their 2020/21 FA Women’s Championship campaign with a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to rivals Durham.
Vicky Jepson’s side will be among the favourites to secure promotion at the end of the season, and despite dominating the majority of the game after Rachel Furness’ first-half strike, a late equaliser from Beth Hepple ensured a disappointing return to action for the Reds at Prenton Park.
The hosts showed some early season rustiness in the opening stages, as Rinsola Babajide’s wicked eighth minute cross evaded three red shirts inside the box.
With the hosts unable to get into a passing rhythm inside the first half hour, Durham posed a real threat from set pieces, with Becky Salicki heading over from Hepple’s corner on 28 minutes.
However, the Reds' patience paid off six minutes before the break as Durham’s Ellie Christon misjudged Babjide’s chipped pass into the box and Furness raced in behind to slot past Megan Borthwick.
Liverpool worked hard to combat the physical threat of Durham after the restart, with Hepple’s long range strike on 55 minutes the closest the visitors came to finding a quick-fire response.
Jepson brought on Jade Bailey and Jess Clarke on the hour mark to inject some life into the Reds' attacking options.
Clarke almost provided an instant impact as her reverse pass played Babajide clean through to fire home, but referee Lucy Oliver had already whistled for a foul on Clarke in the build-up.
Despite their growing frustration at Durham’s aggressive tactics and attempts to slow the game down, the hosts kept their composure in the final 20 minutes.
Substitute Clarke continued to cause problems, with a last-ditch sliding block from Kathryn Hill preventing her from finding the back of the net on 74 minutes.
Jepson’s side almost grabbed a vital second goal on 86 minutes, after Durham conceded another free kick in an attacking area, but Furness’ close-range volley clipped the outside of the post.
That miss proved to be crucial for the home side, as Durham equalised on the counterattack just over a minute later.
A long ball forward caught out the Reds back line and Durham skipper Hepple checked back inside before curling past Rachael Laws.
There was almost another late piece of drama, as Liverpool laid siege to the Durham goal in added time, but Furness’ header from a corner drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.
