DURHAM and Sunderland crashed out of the FA Women’s Cup after defeats to Portsmouth and Liverpool on Sunday.

The Wildcats suffered late heartache when Pompey scored a 95th minute winner to claim a 2-1 win on the south coast.

Rob Atkin’s side had taken a 46th minute lead on the south coast through Beth Jennings after she pounced to score when Stacy Crooks’ shot was parried by Sadie Blakely.

However, their lead lasted just three minutes with Gemma Simmonds finishing past Hill to draw Portsmouth level.

A Beth Hepple free-kick almost restored Durham’s lead when the midfielder’s effort struck the crossbar, while at the other end some superb defending from Jen King and Lauren Jordinson kept the hosts at bay.

The game looked to be heading for extra-time, but Charley Wilson popped up to score the winner in the fifth minute of injury time.

“That’s football, we’ve got no worries and no complaints about the game,” said Atkin, whose side entertain Sunderland in the WSL curtain raiser on Thursday night. “The girls have sat there and said we’ll play worse on days like this and win.

“Credit to Portsmouth, they never gave up and they play in a certain way which will bring them success. The two goals were out of this world and both made it into the top corner.

“I was really pleased with the football we played and we had enough chances in the first half to be in front but we didn’t convert them.”

Sunderland, meanwhile, couldn’t keep out reigning WSL 1 champions Liverpool, who booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Eppleton Colliery.

A debut strike from Martha Harris and a Natasha Dowie tap in sealed the Reds passage to the next round.