SUNDERLAND ended Southampton FC Women's 100 per cent start to the Championship season with a 1-0 win at St Mary's.

Jenna Dear tapped home Mary McAteer's cross 10 minutes into the second half to put the hosts ahead against the run of play.

Ella Morris and Lexi Lloyd-Smith both went agonisingly close to grabbing an equaliser as the visiting defence held firm. 

Saints were hoping to maintain their perfect record in the Championship season, while Sunderland also had ambitions to remain unbeaten. 

Marieanne Spacey-Cale made one change from the side that recorded a 2-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers last Sunday, with Paige Peake replacing Laura Rafferty.

After an even start to proceedings, the first chance of the game fell to Sunderland. Katie Kitching tried to bend a shot into the top corner, but her effort whizzed just past the post.

After some good recovery defending by Megan Collett, Saints grew into the game and soon began to carve out a series of chances for themselves.

Sophia Pharoh headed a Collett cross just past the post moments after Katie Wilkinson saw her goal-bound shot blocked behind for a corner.

A loose pass from Kayla Rendell on the stroke of halftime presented the ball to McAteer inside the box, however, the Welsh international's first touch let her down.

Having burst in behind the Sunderland back line to get one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Ella Morris lacked composure as she mishit her shot.

Saints were soon forced to pay for their missed chances. Former England international Dear latched onto a brilliant cross from McAteer to knock the ball past Rendell.

Spacey-Cale’s side reacted well to going behind, seeing a penalty appeal turned away before substitute Lloyd-Smith set Morris through on goal again.

This time the England youth international took the ball around Claudia Moan, but couldn’t fire into the empty net from a very tight angle.

The Sunderland goalkeeper pulled off a series of fantastic saves to deny Saints an equaliser and secure all three points for her side.

Saints: Rendell; Collett, Mott, Parnell, Purfield; Morris Peake, Kendell; Wilkinson (Kraft, 76’), Pike, Pharoah (Lloyd-Smith, 60’)

Unused subs: Howard, Rafferty, Wynne, Thompson, Milne, Primus

Yellow cards: Pike

Sunderland: Moan; Brown, Goddard, Westrup, Griffiths, Fenton, Kitching (Watson, 76'), Dear, McAteer (Beer, 84'), Ede (Jones, 76'), Ejupi

Unused subs: Borthwich, McCatty, McInnes

Attendance: 1,436