Beth Mead scores hat-trick in 4-0 win over league leaders
Saturday 18 July 2015 23:44, UK
Beth Mead scored a hat-trick as Sunderland thrashed Women's Super League leaders Chelsea 4-0 at the Hetton Centre.
Sunderland took the lead in the 54th minute after a mix-up in the Chelsea defence saw Mead get a clear run at goal before slotting the ball into the bottom left corner
Mead made it 2-0 four minutes later after another glaring error from the Chelsea defence allowed the 20-year-old to smash the ball home from the left side of the area.
Her hat-trick came in the 72nd minute – bundling home the ball on the line – before Abby Holmes added a fourth late on, her cross looping past Hedvig Lindahl into the far corner of the net to leave Chelsea stunned.
Meanwhile, Jess Clarke’s double gave Notts County Ladies a 2-1 win over Liverpool, dealing a serious blow to the home side’s hopes of retaining the FA WSL 1 title.
Liverpool’s misery was compounded by injuries to England midfielder Fara Williams and Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala, who both featured in this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Canada.
The visitors got off to a flying start when Clarke turned in Ellen White’s centre from Alex Greenwood’s deep free-kick.
But Liverpool got back on level terms before half-time when debutant Rosie White scored from close-range after Natasha Dowie’s initial effort had been blocked on the line.
After the interval, White broke the offside trap and unselfishly squared for Clarke to power home her fourth of the season before being forced off injured.
Meanwhile, Toni Duggan scored twice as Manchester City comfortably beat bottom side Bristol Academy at Stoke Gifford Stadium.
Duggan opened the scoring with a stunning effort on 28 minutes, cutting in from the left before lashing the ball home off the underside of the crossbar.
City hit the woodwork twice in the second half through Duggan and Izzy Christiansen, and eventually found the second goal on 68 minutes as Duggan slotted home from close range.
And the visitors sealed the points with eight minutes remaining as substitute Corboz, who signed earlier this month from Georgetown University, poked home another scrappy effort.
