Sunderland Ladies extended their lead at the top of the FA Tesco Women’s National Premier League as they secured victory at Birmingham
with two late second half goals. The visitors welcomed back Lucy Staniforth from injury while Lucy Bronze returned from a stint in
America to take her place on the bench.
Sunderland dominated possession in a first half of few clear chances. The home side were happy to sit behind the ball in an attempt to frustrate the Wearsiders. Demi Stokes caused problems with her powerful running while Sarah Danby, Natalie Gutteridge and Jordan Nobbs had opportunities which failed to seriously trouble Sue Wood in the Birmingham goal. It was clear from the way the game was going that Sunderland would have to patient, and it is a mark of how far they have come on and the respect they now command when teams are content to just stop them playing. However, Birmingham came closest as the half drew to a close as an Issy Christiansen shot from just outside the box was parried by Sunderland keeper Rachel Laws onto the underside of the cross bar with Bird hitting the follow up shot wide.
HT... Birmingham City Ladies 0 vs 0 Sunderland WFC
The second half continued as the first had left off with Sunderland enjoying much of the possession but lacking real penetration.
Birmingham began to be more adventurous and pushed forward to test the visitors through Potter and Christiansen but the defence, marshalled
well by Bannon and Wilson, snuffed out the danger. Danby came close soon after following excellent work down the right by Holmes and
Staniforth, she turned her marker well but Wood made a smart save. Sunderland pushed forward again in search of the breakthrough as
Kelly McDougall was denied by a Wood save at the back post. Then Gemma Wilson thought she had scored the opening goal from a McDougall
corner but it was chalked off for a foul. Just as the game seemed to be heading for a draw the Wearsiders found something extra to
claim the points with a late flurry. Nicola Devine brought the ball out of defence and switched play through the middle, Nobbs and
Stokes combined well but the ball was turned behind for a corner. McDougall whipped the ball in and Gutteridge out jumped the home
defence to head firmly into the roof of the net after 83 minutes. Five minutes later it was two as Danby’s persistence paid off. She
pressured the home defence and forced a back pass which fell short and she was smartly on to it to place a well struck shot into the
far corner of the goal.
FT... Birmingham City Ladies 0 vs 2 Sunderland WFC
Sunderland...Laws, Holmes(Bronze), Bannon,
Wilson, Devine, Staniforth, Nobbs, McDougall, Stokes, Danby(Atkinson), Gutteridge.
Sub (not used)..Salicki
Mick Mulhern spoke
after the game ...We dominated possession and created several opportunities. We had belief that we would score at some point by playing
to our strengths. We had to be patient as Birmingham got plenty behind the ball and tried to frustrate us. But our patience paid off
and got us the result in the end.