Claire Ditchburn praised the patience shown by her side as they claimed victory at West Brom in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.
Durham dominated possession throughout but were largely restricted during the opening half an hour of the game as their hosts defended resolutely – while also having some strong chances of their own.
But Sarah Wilson’s opener prior to the interval paved the way for a clinical second half performance, in which the Blues added four further goals.
And Ditchburn was pleased to see the side keep patient during the challenging spells of the game.
“The scoreline is perhaps a little bit misleading because it wasn’t a straight-forward game,” said the Head Coach.
“We had to work hard, we had to be patient and to be fair to the girls, we were just that.
“We moved the ball really well in the second half and I think, in the end, we got our rewards.”
Durham’s five goals came from five different scorers – something which pleased Ditchburn.
“It’s always nice to get the goals and get a few different scorers on the sheet,” she added.
“Obviously the most important thing is that we’re through to the next round.
“We had to work hard to create the chances – West Brom were very organised and diligent – but the girls kept at it and I felt like we had a couple of good opportunities that we didn’t take.
“It was nice when we started to be a bit more clinical in the second half.”
And at the other end, a fourth clean sheet of the season was a welcome boost.
“It’s really nice for the defenders as well,” said Ditchburn.
“It was an all-round good team performance, and we’ll that going into the week.”
The Blues now turn their attentions to their final game in the FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup – and a trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday.
It’s a test Ditchburn says the squad are relishing.
“We’re all really looking forward to it.
“We’ve had the international break to prepare for this week and we love playing in the cups, so have an FA Cup and a Conti Cup game in the same week – we’re really looking forward to it.”
