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Sunderland completed a second-half comeback to extend their WSL2 River-Wear derby winning streak to seven on Friday night at Maiden Castle.
Mollie Lambert gave Durham the lead on 43 minutes to send the Wildcats into the break with a deserved lead. The visitors came out of the traps in the second half with purpose and found an equaliser through Katie Kitching. Kitching was then replaced by teenage Manchester United loanee Mared Griffiths, who announced her arrival in Red & White in style with a late screamer.
Midfielder Marissa Sheva looked to have put the result beyond doubt with her first Black Cats goal of the season, although Durham provided a late scare through Leyla McFarland. Adam Furness made one change from the Durham side that lost to Charlton last weekend, with Lucy Watson coming in for the absent Mariana Speckmaier.
Sunderland gaffer Melanie Reay brought Kitching back into the starting 11 alongside the debuting Carragh Hamilton on loan from Nottingham Forest. Jessica Brown and Hannah Greenwood dropped to the bench. The opening ten minutes went by without either goalkeeper being troubled, the sides still sizing each other up in their respective 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 shapes.
Sunderland created the first opening as Katy Watson gained freedom on the right side of the box. Her cut back was met by Eleanor Dale six-yards out, but Lauren Briggs got her body in the way to block the shot. The hosts went close twice in the 15th minute when Abbey Jones stabbed over a Lambert cross before her own delivery was somehow diverted wide by former-Sunderland winger Grace Ede.
Another huge Durham chance went begging on 26 minutes as Tyler Toland was through on goal following a fast break. The midfielder had time to pick her spot, but her effort cannoned off the bar and was scrambled to safety. The game’s relentless pace continued as moments later Dale ran on to Marissa Sheva’s through ball before an excellent sliding tackle from Michaela Foster quelled the danger.
Emily Scarr is Sunderland’s top scorer this season, and she almost found another as her effort deflected just wide via Wildcats skipper Sarah Wilson. The deadlock was broken on 42 minutes when Lambert tapped in from point-blank range after Grace Moloney in the Sunderland goal could only palm Jones’ deflected cross into the number eight’s feet. It’s Lambert’s fifth league goal in River Wear derbies for Durham as she continues to be a thorn in her former club’s side.
It was a much scrappier affair after the break, but Sunderland kept themselves in the game and found an equaliser on 64 minutes. Katy Watson harried and battled brilliantly on the right before delivering into the box for Kitching to sweep home her fourth WSL2 goal of the season at the near post. Just four minutes later, Durham should’ve been back ahead. A recycled corner resulted in Lucy Watson’s cross finding Beth Hepple’s head, but the talismanic Durham mainstay couldn’t find the target.
Sunderland’s equaliser reintroduced the frantic energy from the first half as both sides were committed to challenges and forward runs. Plenty of blue shirts surrounded Moloney with less than 15 to play as the Irish stopper did well to get a firm punch behind Hepple’s goalbound corner.
The game’s magic moment arrived nine minutes from time as Mared Griffiths showed tremendous skill to beat Grace Ayre on the left before cutting in and bending a beauty into the far top corner beyond Cat Sheppard. The result was put beyond doubt in injury time as Sheva’s fierce strike from the edge of the area sent the away support wild at the prospect of a seventh straight league River Wear derby win.
A slight scare appeared in the form of McFarland’s close-range finish, but it was too little too late for the Blues. The victory takes Mel Reay’s eight points above the relegation zone and one behind Nottingham Forest in seventh. Durham remain four points above the drop, having played a game more than Sunderland.
Durham: Sheppard, Foster, Wilson, Ayre, Ede (Robson 90), Toland, Briggs (Collinson 80), Lambert, Jones (McFarland 70), Hepple, Watson.
Unused: King, Blake, Bradley, Stobbs, Coulson.
Sunderland: Moloney, L. Griffiths, Roberts, Westrup, Hamilton, Sheva, Fenton (Finn 88), Kitching (M. Griffiths 75), Scarr, Dale, Watson.
Unused: Lambourne, Greenwood, Brown, McInnes, Jones, Paxton, Blades.
Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle
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