Sunderland had to shuffle the pack when they entertained Sheffield Wednesday at the Hetton Centre on Sunday.

With three first team regulars away on international duty boss Mick Mulhern gave other squad members a chance to shine ahead of next week’s FA Cup Final against Arsenal.  The Lady Black Cats need to win their remaining games in order to win the league and achieve their main aim of promotion to the National League.

Sunderland started strongly and Natalie Gutteridge headed over following a left wing corner in the 4^th minute. Then Sophie Halliday crossed for Sophie Williams to head down and Kelly McDougall’s effort cleared the bar. Wednesday sounded a warning as they broke quickly and Tanya Rich went clear only to scuff her shot as Helen Alderson collected comfortably. Soon after Beth Gingell went through on goal but Alderson again came out quickly to smother the danger at her feet. 

The home side got the breakthrough in the 11^th minute as Vicky Greenwell sent the ball forward for Nicola Devine to chase down the left. The defender looked to have it covered but Devine’s persistence paid off as she stole the ball to send in a cross and Steph O’Brien timed her run to perfection to score from close in. It was two in the 17^th minute following good work from O’Brien and Lucy Staniforth who released Devine on the left. As she outpaced the defence she lofted the ball into the middle and it sailed over the despairing Daniella Maslin into the Wednesday goal. Gutteridge extended the lead four minutes later from a Staniforth corner on the left as she rose high above the defence to power home a header. A Gemma Wilson overlap down the right split the defence and her cross was met perfectly by Gutteridge but her header was scrambled off the line. A fourth goal arrived after 27 minutes when O’Brien and Staniforth combined to set Williams free through the middle and she went around her defender to calmly slot the ball past Maslin. Then Staniforth sent Williams clear on the left to cross for Gutteridge to head down and McDougall’s effort was well held by Maslin. Devine’s pace was causing problems down the left and she raced clear again before playing in Staniforth who skipped past the defence to strike sweetly into the bottom corner to complete the scoring before half time.   HT... Sunderland Ladies  5 vs 0  Sheffield Wednesday Ladies

The visitors began the second half brightly and pushed Sunderland onto the back foot in the early stages. A left wing corner from McDougall was met by the head of Staniforth but her effort struck the bar. Wednesday pulled a goal back in the 58^th minute following a free kick on the right which evaded the home defence for Rich to ghost in at the back post and force the ball home. The Wearsiders pushed on again though and Steph Bannon’s free kick was met in the middle by Gutteridge but again the effort came back off the bar. A great mazy run from O’Brien ended with her being brought down on the edge of the box but Staniforth’s free kick attempt was held by Maslin. Wilson brought the ball forward before O’Brien found McDougall whose drive from 30 yards caught Maslin out as the ball dropped over her and into the goal after 66 minutes. Then Greenwell released Devine who outpaced the defence and slotted past the keeper but somehow the ball was scrambled off the line. Sunderland scored again after 72 minutes following a quick break when Bannon switched play to release Devine down the left to cross for Sarah Danby who volleyed home from 18 yards.

FT... Sunderland Ladies  7 vs 1  Sheffield Wednesday Ladies

Sunderland...Alderson, Wilson(Holmes), Bannon, Greenwell, Halliday, Staniforth, O’Brien, McDougall, Devine, Gutteridge(Atkinson), Williams(Danby).  Sub (not used)...Laws.

Manager Mick Mulhern said...”It was a very good performance against a team who made us work for the full 90 minutes. Changes had to be made due to players being away on international duty. The fact that we won so emphatically without those players proves just how good this squad is. The players that came in played really well and that gives me positive selection problems for the Cup Final next week.”