Sunderland made a winning start to their FA Women’s Super League 2 campaign, but satisfaction at their victory over north east rivals Durham was tempered by a nasty injury to goalkeeper Rachael Laws.
Laws, who spent some of last season on loan at WSL champions Liverpool, was stretchered off before the break after coming off worse from a heavy challenge with Beth Jennings.
The injury was the only sour note on an otherwise successful night for Sunderland, who lived up to their billing as one of the pre-season promotion favourites.
Durham 2-4 Sunderland
The FA WSL 2
Thursday 17 April
New Ferens Park
By Scott Wilson
Abbey Joice opened the scoring in the 27th minute, slotting home precisely after unlocking the Durham defence following a one-two with Beth Mead.
Victoria Greenwell doubled the Lady Black Cats' lead on the stroke of half time, curling home a direct free-kick from the edge of the area.
Durham were only formed in the summer, but they performed creditably throughout and clawed a goal back five minutes after the interval when Zoe Ness spotted replacement goalkeeper Helen Alderson off her line and floated home a 40-yard strike.
Sunderland restored their two-goal advantage when Mead drilled home from the spot, with Gemma Wilson adding a fourth as she hooked home from a corner.
However, it was Durham who had the final say as Caroline Dixon netted a penalty with four minutes left.
Sunderland head coach Clare Robinson spoke after the game about the injury to Laws and said: "Rachael's smiling now and the injury is not as bad as we feared.
"It was a suspected broken bone, but the doctor has come back and said he doesn't think it is. We'll keep a close eye on it though and see how she is.
"It was the first game of the season, and that probably sums it up. The main thing was that we wanted the three points – and we've got that.
"All credit to Durham, they've asked some questions of us. But we've kept possession fairly well and got the four goals."
Durham manager Lee Sanders was disappointed with the result, but pleased with the support on show for the season's opener.
He said: "To be honest, we didn't really know what to expect. We didn't know whether we might get 200 or 300, so to get a crowd of more than 700 was great and it just shows the level of support that exists for women's football in the region.
"That's what we have to try to build from now. We want to attract sports fans from right across County Durham, and we're going to be putting on more entertainment in the future."
Durham (4-1-4-1): Hill; Christon, Jordinson, King, Hanratty; Dixon; B Jennings (Lawson 87), Hepple (Young 61), Ness, Round; Crooks (Hardy 70).
Substitutes not used: Luther, J Jennings.
Sunderland (4-5-1): Laws (Alderson 45); Beer, Bannon, Wilson, Greenwell; Bass, Furness (Kelly 78), McDougal, Joice, Ramshaw; Mead.
Substitutes not used: Holmes, Dodds, Olley.
Attendance: 716.
Referee: Helen Connelly.
