LIVERPOOL LADIES 2 SUNDERLAND LADIES 0

A DEJECTED Steph Bannon was forced to concede her Sunderland side were simply blown away by in-form Liverpool following a 2-0 defeat last night.

High-flying Sunderland lost 2-0 at FA Women’s Super League champions Liverpool, who won the FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup tie thanks to goals by Natasha Dowie and Katrin Omarsdottir.

The Black Cats started their season off in style by shocking champions Liverpool at the same venue back in March.

But despite their scintillating performances in the league, they now slip behind Manchester City and Liverpool in the Continental Tyres Cup Group Two standings, and will find it tough to automatically progress into the knock-out stages.

Bannon said: “We’re really disappointed. If I’m honest, we didn’t deserve anything from the game and that’s not me being harsh, that’s just being truthful.

“We’ve had a great season, but we just didn’t perform at all tonight and credit to Liverpool, they were the better side.

“We’ve played them three times this season now, and won, drawn and lost one each, but it did start so well at Liverpool, at this ground, at the start of the season and unfortunately this time we just didn’t gel.

“It didn’t click for us. The game plan didn’t go as we wanted it to go for whatever reason. We didn’t create enough chances and our defending wasn’t good enough from set pieces.”

Dowie also struck the bar for the Reds, who remained on top throughout with Rosie White and Martha Harris also coming close either side of half-time.

And the 27-year-old striker admits she is full of confidence after eight goals in her last seven games in the FA Women’s Super League with BT Sport.

“I’m really enjoying my football at the moment, and it’s always nice when you’re scoring but it’s the winning as well,” she said.

“I’m a winner, this team are winners and we just love winning football matches. We’re unbeaten in the last five games now, have kept four clean sheets and we’re playing some great football.

“This was probably the best we’ve played with regards to the result and the performance as well.

“First half I probably could have scored two or three more, but I’m scoring plenty of goals at the moment and that’s a big lift to my confidence.

“I knew it was going to come and I’m getting chances now which is good. I’m going to keep working on it because I need to start putting more than one away, but I was pleased to get the one, and the assist for the second as well.”

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