Grace McCatty and Holly Manders help Sunderland Ladies beat Blackburn Rovers

Defender McCatty nodded in from close range to claim her second of the season in as many games, with Manders’ smart turn and finish doubling the lead just before the break.

Rovers’ Farah Crompton pulled one back late on, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Black Cats returning to Wearside with three points.

With three games in seven days, Mel Reay once again used the cup as an opportunity to rotate her squad, handing a first senior start to 16-year-old Grace Ede, with Manders, Libbi McInnes and Eve Blakey also coming into the starting XI.

The hosts started the game the better of the two sides, enjoying more possession and creating the first chance as Annabel Blanchard struck the inside of the post after skipping past several Sunderland challenges as she charged forward.

At the other end Blakey saw a shot blocked from Louise Griffiths’ pullback, before Alex Brooks saved well from Charlotte Potts’ powerful header. The away side’s pressure paid off after 37 minutes as McCatty timed her run perfectly to get on the end of Potts’ freekick.

On the stroke of half time, it was two – Blackburn failed to clear another dangerous set piece and as the ball bounced around the box Manders pounced to finish from close range.

Sunderland began to drop back and seemed happy to defend their lead as Rovers came out fighting after the break, almost pulling a goal back as Crompton, Millie Chandarana and Mia Parry both saw their efforts blocked by last-ditch defending.

With the hosts committing more players forward, the Black Cats looked to exploit on the counter attack and came close to close to a third, captain Emma Kelly intercepting Brooks’ pass from goal and squaring for Blakey who was denied on the goal line with Manders also frustrated on the follow-up.

Lauren Thomas then came close but her curling shot rolled just wide of the target before Crompton offered a glimmer of hope with the second goal in four days. The forward exchanged passes with Saffron Jordan before slotting a left-footed shot past Alison Cowling into the bottom corner.

Blackburn desperately searched for the equaliser with Natasha Fenton, Thomas and Chloe Dixon trying their luck from distance but they each failed to trouble Cowling.

With Aston Villa North East in December, the Black Cats will be hoping to secure their place in the League Cup’s knock out stages before a glamour tie against Liverpool rounds off the group later that month.

But next up for Reay’s side is London City Lionesses who make the long trip to Eppleton in the Women’s Championship on Sunday, with the Black Cats looking to continue their recent form and move up to third in the table.

Sunderland: Cowling; Mullen (Brown 56’), McCatty, Potts, Griffiths (Herron 76’); Joice, McInnes (Ramshaw 63’); Kelly ©, Manders, Ede (Scarr 63’); Blakey.

Subs not used: Moan.

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