Birmingham City stay top after gutsy win at Sunderland | OneFootball

Birmingham City maintained their lead at the top of the Barclays Women’s Championship table with a gritty 1-0 win over Sunderland at The Stadium of Light this afternoon.

Lee Geum-Min capitalised on a mix-up in the Sunderland back-line to net the only goal after seven minutes and hand the Blues a fifth consecutive league win on the road.

The visitors started strongly and deservedly opened the scoring when Simone Magill chased down a lost cause. She won the ball from Demi Lambourne and squared it to Lee, who lifted a shot over the covering defenders and into the back of the net.

Eleanor Dale had the hosts’ first chance in the 24th minute. Libbi McInnes slipped the ball through, and Dale found herself one-on-one, but Blues keeper Lucy Thomas made an excellent block and collided with the striker in a clash which saw both forced off the field.

The Black Cats finished the half the stronger, and Brianna Westrup’s header was cleared off the line by former Sunderland player Neve Herron in stoppage time.

McInnes had the best chance of the second half for the North East side. She drove forward from the halfway line into space and let fly, but Birmingham City’s substitute keeper Oliwia Szperkowska got down well to deny her.

Lee shot past the far post and Tegan McGowan saw a late effort pushed away by Lambourne for the Blues in a half of very few chances.

In the end, the early goal was enough to condemn Sunderland to their first league defeat since the Tyne-Wear derby – also at The Stadium of Light – on 13 October.

Sunderland are back in action next weekend when they travel to Portsmouth for an Adobe Women’s FA Cup fifth round tie while Birmingham City must wait a fortnight for their next fixture.