Durham Women progressed into the quarter-finals of the Women’s League Cup with a victory at Sunderland.
An early strike from Eleanor Ryan-Doyle and a second-half goal from Kalia Novak cancelled out Katy Watson’s equaliser for Sunderland.
The final game of the group stage pitted two local sides against each other at Eppleton Colliery Welfare.
Adam Furness made multiple changes from the side that beat Birmingham City and Olivia Bramley, Dee Bradley, Kalia Novak, Ella Wilson, Eleanor Ryan-Doyle and Abbi Holmes all started, with the visitors also shuffling their pack.
Durham started the game strongly, with a long ball over the top from Sarah Wilson, and a finish from Ryan-Doyle, which saw Durham open the scoring in the first minute of play.
The hosts came back fighting, with a strike from Katy Watson making it 1-1 within five minutes.
Sunderland had their fair share of chances in the first-half and Ellen Jones had an effort tipped over the bar by Durham keeper Tatiana Saunders.
Durham made three half-time changes and Becky Salicki, Mollie Lambert and Grace Ayre all made immediate impact, before Novak bent the ball into the bottom corner in the 58th minute.
Sunderland defender Jessie Stapleton received a second yellow for her challenge on Carly Johns in stoppage time, which left Sunderland down to ten for the dying seconds of a win which secured the visitors a spot in the Women’s League Cup final eight.
Durham XI: Saunders, Briggs (Johns 73’), Bramley, S Wilson (Lambert 46’), Hepple (Salicki 46’), Bradley, Novak, E Wilson, Foster (Ayre 46’), Ryan-Doyle, Holmes
Durham subs not used: Crosthwaite
Goal: Ryan-Doyle (1’), Novak (58’)
Booking: Bradley (39’)
