SUNDERLAND WOMEN missed out on a chance at promotion to the Women's Super League as they fell to an agonising 1-0 defeat against Charlton.

Addicks forward Kayleigh Barton broke Sunderland hearts just before the hour mark.

A win would have set up a winner-takes-all tie away at Crystal Palace next week, but with Palace beating Lewes, the gap to the Championship leaders now sits at an unassailable four points.

The importance of today's game could not be denied - Sunderland knew that two wins from their final two games would see them promoted and it was a pressure that was apparent in their performance. 

Meanwhile, Charlton had an outside chance of promotion if they could beat Sunderland and overturn a hefty goal difference next week – with Sunderland’s help.

The first-half display from both teams was a touch nervy and at times scrappy. 

Charlton had the better of a scarce number of chances in the opening 45 minutes. Black Cats’ stopper Claudia Moan did well to deny Melissa Johnson 20 minutes into the half after it looked initially like the Charlton player had rounded her.

Sunderland’s few first-half chances came mainly through the right-hand-side combination of Mary McAteer and Jess Brown, who was making her 100th appearance in red-and-white.

The visitors’ breakthrough came in the 60th minute as Barton was first to pounce on a loose ball after Moan parried. 

Barton’s six-yard tap in burst the bubble of the 1,327-strong Eppleton crowd. It was a goal that threatened to suck the life out of the afternoon.

But Sunderland rallied and head coach Mel Reay sought to impact the game with some fresh legs, even if some in the crowd were not initially enamoured with the decision to withdraw Welsh international McAteer.

The Lasses managed to fashion some chances as the game entered its final minutes with Libbi McInnes dragging a shot wide 15 minutes from full-time.

The Wearsiders continued to battle, nicking the ball in midfield on a few occasions, but ultimately never really finding the final touch. 

As 12 minutes of stoppage time was announced, Brianna Westrup made a great stop on the line to keep the deficit at one and the once-deflated crowd felt there may be a couple more twists to the game.

But it was not to be as Sunderland’s title hopes were extinguished by an organised Charlton.

Despite missing the chance of promotion, Sunderland remain set for a top-three finish only a year after finishing second bottom. They will be joined in the Championship by rivals Newcastle United next season, who won the third-tier title last week.