SAINTS Women head coach Remi Allen remains encouraged despite an admittedly "frustrating" 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Sunday.

Saints were seconds away from securing an important win at St James' Park before Dianna Cooper poked home an equaliser in the 99th minute.

Allen's side would have pulled themselves two points off league leaders Birmingham and Durham with a win but now find themselves four points off the pace.

Speaking at St James' Park, Allen said: “It’s beyond frustrating, but there is a difference with this performance. Against Durham, I felt we let them back in and were a little bit sloppy.

“I thought we were brilliant today. We could have prevented the corner, that’s my only bugbear. It was first and second balls in the box and it fell for them and they got their bit of luck.

“I’m beyond proud of my group today. To come to this stadium, (with) this atmosphere, the fans, the referee, I thought they dealt with it really well.

“We could have killed the game off, that’s the next step for us. We can’t keep grinding out the 1-0 wins, we need to kill games off.

“I’m proud of them. They performed excellently. Although it was played on a beautiful pitch, it was actually an ugly game.

“We really mixed it and matched them. When you play well and don’t get three points, it’s frustrating. We have to learn from it.

“It’s happened two games in a row now, there were improvements with how we managed this game, but we will go again. 

“I just told the players that we are in a great place because we are unbeaten against some top sides. One day we will go and kill the game off and then this doesn’t happen.”

She continued: “We are unbeaten (in the last three games). We are difficult to beat, opposition teams are saying that and the stats suggest that.

“What we do need to do is be more ruthless in the final third, if we can take those moments, the end of the game isn’t as panicky and we aren’t as stressed.

“I have no doubt it will come with this group. I said before the game that I am so proud to represent this football club and these players.

“They are really playing out of their skin for me. We will keep digging it out. What this group does have is resilience.

“We don’t need to bounce back, because we have a point, and it’s a massive point, but we will turn these points into three points."

Saints Women are next in action against rivals Portsmouth in the League Cup. They were 5-0 winners when both sides met in the Championship earlier this season.