Hull City Ladies secured a well-deserved point on the opening game of the season away against Middlesbrough Women in a hard-fought game.

It was 196 days since the Hull City Ladies last competitive match as Ellie Tanser opened the scoring with a poached goal before Boro equalised through Libby Dixon, the Tigresses was unlucky not to take all three points after Rebecca Beech hit the post in stoppage time.

Middlesbrough had the games’ first real chance but the effort was easily saved by Abi Wallace. Wallace, who only turned 16 on the 19th September made her debut after joining the club from York RTC.

Boro who is a good side according to HCL’s first team manager, nearly found themselves one nill up. A through pass but their striker clipped the post with her effort.

“Middlesbrough will be a top-three side, on that performance they will be a top-three side if teams don’t do their homework against them they’ll get torn apart as they are very good at what they do,” said Costello.

Jo Symington who was arguably Hull City Ladies player of the match produced an excellent block and recovery to stop Boro in their tracks, as moments later Boro had the ball in the net but was ruled out for an offside goal, as the teams went into half-time level.

Hull City Ladies took the lead five minutes into the second half after a well-worked corner routine. A short corner was then swung in by Symington, as the dangerous cross wasn’t cleared and Ellie Tanser fired home.

Middlesbrough equalised 10 minutes later, from a good finish by Libby Dixon who tucked the ball in from close range.

Costello said: Massive belief from the girls that unlike when I took over if we would have gone 1-0/2-0 down that would have been it, but now there’s a massive belief in the girls that until the final whistle goes we can score as we saw there, we were pushing for that winner.

Edge of the area shot from Bott, made the keeper spring into action as she parred the shot for a corner. The resulting corner came to nothing as the Tigresses looked for a winner.

In the closing minutes, the Tigresses had a fantastic chance to clinch all three points. A great ball from Aaliyah Allen to Rebecca Beech who turned the defender inside and out and produced a cracking shot which was brilliantly saved by Rosie Todd who tipped into onto the woodwork which earned her side a draw.

“I’m pleased, away trip up to Boro, one of the top teams in the league and come up here, from the fingertips of Rosie Todd and the width of the goal we would have won it at the death there but it was a great save.

Bet you most people would have said Hull at home that would have been an easy game but we’ve shown people today that it won’t be easy and we’re going to fight and fight to the 90^th minute and beyond that if they add time on, we played well today,” said Costello.

Hull City Ladies now play Sunderland Ladies at Haworth Park on Sunday 27th September, 2pm KO, then they take on Huddersfield Town Women three days later on Wednesday 30th September, 7.45pm KO, with free tickets for NHS staff.

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Scorers: Ellie Tanser (50)

Abi Wallace; Eden Pederson, Ellice Jackman, Jo Symington; Ellie Tanser, Suey Smith, Katie Thompson, Liberty Bott; Harley Skinner, Rachael Ackroyd Emily Smith

Subs: Cooke, Westmorland, Howard, Beech, Allen, Padget

*Written by Alex Robinson
** Photograph by Kevin Greene, Kevin Green Photography