Scarr and Kitching lead Sunderland to derby win over Durham | OneFootball

Emily Scarr continued her fine form in-front of goal to lead Sunderland to a 2-1 win over Durham in their Barclays WSL2 clash at The Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground this evening.

The striker – who turned 26 on Monday – netted eight minutes after the break, before Katie Kitching scored a stunner from 25 yards to make the game safe. Beth Hepple got one back late on, but the away side couldn’t rescue the game.

Hannah Greenwood made a vital intervention on the edge of her own box to stop Poppy Pritchard when through on goal early on, but the two sides cancelled each other out in the first half and chances were few and far between throughout.

Scarr netted her third goal in successive league games after 53 minutes, heading in a loose ball from close range after Izzy Atkinson played a pass back across the area.

Hepple then fired over at the end of The Wildcats’ best move of the match and Mollie Lambert drilled a shot wide, before Kitching took aim five minutes from time and hit a vicious, dipping strike over Cat Sheppard to double the lead. Hepple’s late reply from a corner three minutes later could not inspire a comeback for the visitors, as they fell to a sixth consecutive league defeat to their River Wear rivals.

Both sides are in Subway Women’s League Cup action in midweek. Sunderland travel to St Helens to face Liverpool while Durham host Sheffield United at Maiden Castle.