Sunderland Ladies climb two places with come-from-behind victory on final day of the WSL season
Annie Heatherson had opened the scoring for bottom club Yeovil in the 16th minute, but Sunderland hit back strongly to end their run of six successive defeats.
Keira Ramshaw and Bridget Galloway turned the game on its head with goals either side of the hour mark to give Sunderland a positive end to the campaign, with victory taking them up two places to a seventh-place finish.
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Hide AdHeatherson’s opener was a stand-out moment as Yeovil tried in vain to claim a first win of the season.
The midfielder glided through the home defence before firing a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Four minutes after conceding, Ellie Stewart powered a back-post header straight at Yeovil keeper Megan Walsh as Sunderland responded.
Moments later, Galloway picked the pocket of a Yeovil centre-half before laying in Mollie Lambert. But her cross-shot was pushed clear by Walsh before being hacked clear.
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Hide AdSunderland, as has been the case this season, were much improved in the second half and duly levelled just before the hour-mark.
Ramshaw rose highest to thump a header past Walsh following Lambert’s delivery from the right.
The hosts then completed the turnaround on 63 minutes, Galloway latching on to Zaneta Wyne’s deflected shot to score from close range.
Sunderland keeper Rachael Laws said: “How cliché to say it was a game of two halves, but it was.
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Hide Ad“We didn’t start in the first half – we were forcing it too much. When Yeovil didn’t have the ball, they banked up and we had to find a way through which we couldn’t do.
“We spoke about it at half-time and, credit to the girls, they have come out and performed fantastically.
“There were two great goals, we defended well and it’s a great way to finish.
“We tried to put it right on the pitch in the first half but we couldn’t do it.
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Hide Ad“We showed up in the second half. We’re happy to get the win and show great character to come from behind to get the win.”
Yeovil’s captain, keeper Walsh, added: “We’re all disappointed to end the season like that. The first half was probably the best we have produced; we have gone in winning at half-time.
“We just stepped off the pedal a little bit and that resulted in two goals.
“We kept them at bay and stuck to our game plan, which was to keep them in front of us, but it came apart in the second half a bit, which led to the two goals.
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Hide Ad“I think it was on Sunderland’s part, they really came at us, pushed for the win and they got that. We have got to look at ourselves and be better at keeping them at bay more.
“The two draws, and the two goals under our belts, will give us confidence and boost the morale of the team to take into next season.”
Sunderland Ladies (4-3-3): Rachel Laws; Victoria Williams, Hayley Sharp, Ellie Stewart, Rachel Pitman; Dominique Bruinenberg, Zaneta Wyne, Lucy Staniforth; Mollie Lambert, Bridget Galloway, Keira Ramshaw. Subs not used: Anke Preuss, Abbey Joice, Bethany Guy, Katie Barker, Courtney Stewart, Faye Mullen, Anna Young.
Yeovil Town Ladies (4-4-2): Megan Walsh; Thierry-Jo Gauvain, Nicola Cousins, Kayleigh Green, Gemma Evans; Charlotte Buxton (Libby Piggot 69), Annie Heatherson, Leah Burridge, Georgia Evans; Ella Pusey, Kelly Aldridge. Subs not used: Beth Howard, Harriet Lambe.
Att: 226
Referee: Andrew Miller
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