The points were shared on the opening day Teesside derby between Middlesbrough and Norton & Stockton Ancients.
Both sides had chances to opening the scoring, but heroic defending from both backlines split the points on a beautiful day in Stockton.
Ellen Turnbull was shown a red card for Boro late in the first half.
Nine players made their Boro debut to start the game today.
The game started slowly, with both teams taking their time to create good opportunities.
But the main incident in the game took place in the 35th minute, when Ellen Turnbull was shown a red card for an incident.
Norton found a way through Boro’s strong back-line just before the break, but Maddie Myers’ run at goal was met by a fantastic tackle from Abby Towers to stop the Ancients’ attacker from getting a shot off.
But despite an end-to-end first half, the sides went into the break with the scores level.
Boro came out the stronger team in the second half, and had one of the games best chances 11 minutes after the restart when Millie Bell played a dangerous cross into the box, which was well brought down by Sarah Burn, but her eventual effort was met by a diving stop from Kelsie Moore in the Norton net.
Norton had their best opportunity of the game immediately after when Katie Ormerod flew up the left wing and after some clever trickery to create space, she powered an effort off the crossbar.
Boro went straight down the other end, and Sarah Burn had a perfectly placed cross from the right wing met by Eve Marshall, but her awkward volley flew over the crossbar.
Boro kept attacking and with 70 minutes gone, substitute Emma Wallis played a great through ball which allowed Sarah Burn to break through on goal, but she was met by a superb challenge from Norton’s Georgia Rae.
Emma Wallis continued to cause problems for Norton, and in the 78th minute she unleashed a curling shot, on her weak foot, from outside the box which Kelsie Moore was equal to at full stretch.
But neither team were able to find a late winner, and both Teesside-based clubs start the 2023/24 season with a point each.
Boro Women head to Huddersfield Town in the FAWNL Cup determining round next Sunday.
Middlesbrough: Wareham, Hindle (Wallis 61’), Towers, Packham, Bell, Guy, Burn, Turnbull, Robson, Baker, Maxwell (Marshall 45’)
Unused Subs: Cook, Ward, Foster
Norton & Stockton Ancients: Moore, McEwen, McGuire, Rae, Burton, West, Tierney (Clark 66’), Boyle (Myers 40’), Hodgson (McArthur 82’), Ormerod (Coyle 75’), White
Unused Subs: Chisnall