Sunderland began the game in determined fashion and pushed Birmingham onto the back foot from the off.
Abby Holmes made a powerful early run down the right and crossed for Jordan Nobbs to force Birmingham keeper Sue Wood into action. Then Holmes combined well with Lucy Staniforth whose cross was met by the head of Kelly McDougall, but again Wood made a fine save. McDougall was brought down on the edge of the box and Staniforth’s free kick was turned around the post. The home side were forcing the pace and playing some well controlled football as Birmingham were have having difficulty clearing their lines. Nobbs, McDougall and Demi Stokes combined well through the middle to set up Natalie Gutteridge to shoot but the busy Wood dealt with it comfortably. Sunderland’s defence was tested for the first time on the quarter hour when Dani Bird broke down the left and crossed but the ball was scrambled away. Moments later Sian Larkin tested Rachael Laws in the home goal with a drive from the edge of the box.
The Wearsiders deservedly took the lead on 33 minutes when Holmes won the ball and fed Staniforth down the right who then brought
in Gutteridge, she then switched the ball to Stokes on the left who pulled the ball back for Nobbs to control and finish hard and
low into the net. Sunderland were almost caught out when a great ball from Kerys Harrop left Bartlett free, however to the home sides
relief, she pulled her shot wide. Moments later, Becky Hall just failed to connect with a right wing cross. The last action of the
half saw Williams and Stokes link up well to set up McDougall but her shot went wide.
HT... Sunderland WFC 1 vs 0 Birmingham
City Ladies
Stokes, McDougall, and Devine combined well to set up Gutteridge, but her shot was saved by Wood. On 51 minutes Hall
carried the ball forward and played in Bartlett, only for Laws to make a great smothering save at her feet. Birmingham pushed forward
looking for an equaliser when Bartlett picked the ball up but her shot was well saved by Laws. Sunderland increased their lead after
63 minutes, when great play from Devine and Williams set up Staniforth to send in a shot that was parried by Wood for Gutteridge to
pounce and score from the loose ball. It was end to end stuff as a Larkin shot from distance forced Laws to tip over at full stretch.
Sunderland seemed to make the game safe on 68 minutes as Nobbs won the ball in the middle and found the overlapping Williams who chipped
the ball over Wood from twenty yards. Birmingham were not out of it though, as a Larkin drive ricocheted off the post before a Bartlett
shot was again spectacularly saved by Laws in the Sunderland goal. From the resulting corner Stokes headed off the line. Birmingham’s
pressure paid off on 84 minutes when Sunderland gave the ball away in the middle and following a series of shots, Mikaela Howell struck
the ball firmly into the net. This however, only proved a consolation, as Sunderland stood firm, well marshalled by Bannon and Wilson,
to run out well deserved winners.
FT... Sunderland WFC 3 vs 1 Birmingham City Ladies
Sunderland...Laws, Holmes,
Bannon, Wilson, Devine(Greenwell), Staniforth(Halliday), Nobbs, McDougall, Stokes, Williams, Gutteridge(Atkinson). Sub
(not used)..Salicki.
A happy Mick Mulhern said...”I was delighted with our performance. The girls all did their jobs very well
and generally made the right decisions. We caused a useful Birmingham side lots of problems and took our chances well.”