Millwall Lionesses 2
Sunderland Women 3
Sunderland Women sealed the FA Premier League National Division title after coming from behind to win 3-2 at Millwall yesterday.
Needing only three points from their final three games to land their first major national crown, the Lady Black Cats were a goal up through Natalie Gutteridge's second minute header.
The Lionesses roared back at Beckenham to lead 2-1 by half-time with goals by Lindsey Morgan and Emma Beckett.
But as time lapsed the Wearside women dug deep and levelled through a 40-yard effort from Kelly MacDougall with little more than quarter of an hour remaining.
It looked like Sunderland would need to seek the extra two points needed for the title from their final two matches, at Barnet and Blackburn over the next two Sundays, before full-back Abby Holmes sneaked the winner with another headed goal, two minutes from full-time.
Delighted manager Mick Mulhern said the achievement only underlined the frustration at Sunderland being excluded from the FA's first Women's Super League.
Sunderland, fifth-placed finshers in the last full National Division season, were the highest ranked applicants to be excluded from the founding summer league, starting next week.
Mulhern's team recently beat one of the chosen eight, Lincoln, in the FA Cup and only lost to all-conquering Arsenal, 3-2 after extra-time, in the quarter-final.
In the league this season they lost their opening game at home to Nottingham Forest, in August, but have since remained unbeaten and hold an eight point margin at the top to prove they are the best outside the Super League.
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