Sunderland Ladies head coach Mel Reay has this challenge for team ahead of Watford clash

The Black Cats faced London City Lionesses last time out but lost 2-0 in a hard-fought contest.

Carly Girasoli’s quick-fire goal in the first three minutes set the tone and despite the Black Cats rallying in the second half with Grace McCatty hitting the bar, Rianna Jarrett put the game beyond doubt in the closing stages.

Heading into a third game in a gruelling seven days – in which her side has racked up almost 900 miles on the road - Reay rotated her squad with captain Keira Ramshaw, Neve Herron and Emily Scarr coming back into the starting XI.

Malta international Maria Farrugia was forced to sit out with a leg injury.

The result left the Ladies in eighth position in the second tier with 11 points gained so far this campaign ahead of their visit to Watford this Sunday.

"We have watched the game back and we have reviewed it,” Reay told The Echo.

“We know where we need to be better and we can’t wait to get back on the pitch and hopefully bring three points back home.

“They are newly promoted along with us into the Championship and have struggled in their opening games but over the last two games they have picked up a bit of form. They’ve drawn one and won one recently.

“They will be looking to carry on that momentum into our game and take three points off us. It will be a tough game and we need to be on it and at the races but we go there in good spirits."

Watford have struggled since promotion alongside Sunderland and have gained just four points from their eight games and sit second-bottom of the league.

A win for Sunderland could extend the gap between the two clubs to 10 points, a fact Sunderland’s head coach is all too aware of.

“We just have to keep picking points up every game we play and it doesn’t get much bigger than taking three points off a team who are down there.

"We will be doing everything we can in order to make that happen.”

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