Aimee Claypole of Durham celebrates scoring her team's second goal against Newcastle United with teammates Beth Hepple and Mollie Lambert
Newcastle United's huge women's derby clash against Sunderland at the weekend has taken on extra significance after the week's events. Not that it needed much more of a build up.
Almost 30,000 tickets are believed to have been sold for this Sunday's clash which could set a new attendance record in the Women's Championship. The promotion race is hotting up and the news that the Carabao Cup will be paraded at the game in front of Newcastle's closest rivals has added extra spice to it.
While the men's team were winning the Carabao Cup at the weekend, there were two other important games affecting the region - including a derby involving Durham and Newcastle at Maiden Castle, the hosts having lost to Sunderland a fortnight ago at The Stadium of Light.
After a lively start, it was the visitors who took the lead after six minutes. Beth Lumsden capitalised on a clearance to cross from the right for Emily Murphy who headed home.
Durham didn't let their heads go down but continued to press hard and this brought an equaliser 10 minutes later. Aimee Claypole headed home a magnificent Mollie Lambert cross from the right, after great work by Michaela Foster and Beth Hepple. It was Lambert and Claypole who linked up again less than two minutes later to take the lead; Lambert stealing the ball and putting the Chelsea loanee through to slot in her second.
Newcastle looked shell-shocked and were still reeling when Hepple added a third on the half hour, bringing the ball down inside the area from a clearance and slotting it home with her left foot.
Both sides had further chances to add to scoreline, and battled hard in the second half, but the game finished with Durham deservedly taking the three points and doing the double over their visitors this season. They now sit in fourth place, six points off the single promotion spot with four more games to play.
Adam Furness, Durham's head coach, said: "We knew it was going to be a high energy, tempo game. We needed to counter-attack well which we did really well in the first half. The girls' physical output today was outstanding and the desire again, to put their bodies on the line and deal with stuff - we've got a happy dressing room!"
An enjoyable match, however, was marred by a pause in play involving the referee, the fourth official, both head coaches and the head steward. Durham players reported some verbal abuse from behind the goal at the Shincliffe End of the ground, which was ultimately dealt with appropriately by the stewards.
It is the second weekend in a row that such a thing has happened; Taylor Hinds, of Liverpool was subjected to 'sexually inappropriate comments' playing in the FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal.
Myself, and I'm sure everyone involved in Women's Football, hope that such an instance doesn't become more common place - unfortunately, I've heard stories of supporters being abused in the stands by opposing fans this season too. A far cry from how I've found the game over the past 11 years of covering it - let's hope that the family friendly aspect continues to shine through, starting this weekend at St James' Park, and all types of abuse are hounded out as soon as possible.
Newcastle are six points behind Durham in seventh but have two games in hand. It means Sunday's clash against Sunderland is even bigger as both teams know that there is more than bragging rights at stake - defeat would probably end any promotion hopes.
Newcastle beat Sunderland in the reverse fixture earlier this season and will have home advantage and a sizeable crowd behind them but Sunderland have been playing on large pitches recently (the Stadium of Light and Fratton Park), as opposed to Newcastle at Kingston Park and Maiden Castle.
Sunderland coach Mel Reay adapted her tactics to suit the pitch against Durham a few weeks ago to great effect, it will be interesting to see how they will play on Sunday (kick-off 2pm).
Both teams will be looking to bounce back from defeats after Sunderland lost at Portsmouth at the weekend. Two goals in quick succession early in the second half gave Pompey not only their second win in a row but just their second win in the league all season. Katy Watson, coming on as a substitute, slotted home the only goal on 75 minutes.
Reay told her club media that her team 'just weren't good enough' and gave 'a flat performance'. She added: "We have to see a reaction next week." If she does, we could be in for a heck of a game.