Sunderland 1 Newcastle United 2: Lumsden double gives Magpies Derby delight
There was late drama as Sunderland fell to a 2-1 defeat in the Wear-Tyne Derby to Newcastle United in front of a record-breaking Stadium of Light crowd.
Beth Lumsden’s brace gave the Magpies a two-goal advantage, including a goal direct from a corner in the second half.
Emily Scarr’s 78th-minute tap-in was merely consolation as the Toon held on for victory in the Derby.
Black Cats head coach Mel Reay made a singular change from the six-goal thriller at Charlton as Katy Watson made way for Elanor Dale.
Becky Langley’s changes to the Magpies side that lost dramatically to Durham saw Charlotte Potts, Beth Lumsden and Isabella Sibley given a start.
By far the best chance early doors fell to Sunderland in the second minute when Mary McAteer rounded goalkeeper Claudia Moan but the former Black Cat recovered to make a big save.
Newcastle broke the deadlock on 28 minutes courtesy of Lumsden who brushed through the Sunderland defence and rifled her shot into the top right corner of the goal to put the Geordies ahead.
After conceding, Sunderland looked stronger in attack but Moan denied a series of chances to equalise allowing the Magpies to go into the break ahead.
The Magpies doubled their advantage three minutes after the restart as Lumsden’s corner curls all the way in for her and Newcastle’s second despite appeals for a foul on Sunderland goalkeeper Demi Lambourne in the build-up.
Shania Hayles came close to Newcastle’s third of the game in the 59th minute but Lambourne was at full stretch to keep her out.
Sunderland managed to pull one back through Emily Scarr in the 78th minute as the midfielder tapped home captain Natasha Fenton’s cross to keep the hosts alive going into the final ten minutes.
Former Black Cat Demi Stokes nearly restored Newcastle’s two-goal cushion on 80 minutes but was stopped by Lambourne from close range.
Sunderland kept searching for an equaliser in the seven minutes of added time but the Magpies held on to secure victory on enemy soil.
The result gives Newcastle a six-point lead on their Wearside rivals in the Barclays Women’s Championship.
Sunderland: Lambourne, Stapleton, Goddard, McAteer, Scarr, Dale, Kitching (McInnes 72’), Brown, Fenton (C), Ede, Dear (Watson 84’)
Unused subs: Borthwick, Corbyn, Beer, Flannery, West, Dunbar
Newcastle: Moan, Stokes, Stobbs (C) (Joel 86’), Watt, Boddy, Hayles (Haywood 73’), Furness (Greenwood 45’), Sibley (Barker 69’), McQuade, Potts, Lumsden
Unused subs: Donnelly, Hawkins, Gibson, Elson, Andrews