Considering how they’re treated by the men’s team, Sunderland Ladies do very well. The senior people at the Stadium of Light may have totally cut their funding meaning they’re now a part-time model and not let them train at the Academy of Light, but they’re still very competitive. You have to give everyone associated with the Ladies credit for that. Despite being almost shunned, they’re still beating some top-flight teams and at the minute, they’re comfortably away from the bottom of the league. I didn’t get to a single game last midweek. On Tuesday, I was meant to be at Durham City with Easington but that was postponed. There was a couple of other options on Tuesday night but it was my mam’s birthday so I just stayed in and went out for a meal. I was wanting to do a game on Wednesday or Thursday but there was nothing on locally. Today though, I had a choice of two games. It was either Sunderland U23s vs Arsenal U23s at Eppleton at 12 or this game. Although it’s further away, I was always going to pick this game.

Match report:

Manchester City Women maintain 100 per cent record with victory at Sunderland

Manchester City Women collected a 16th straight league win with a 3-0 victory at Sunderland Ladies on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a resolute performance from Sunderland, a Nikita Parris brace either side of Izzy Christiansen’s strike ensured the Citizens of the three points.

The win means Manchester City remain top of the WSL with seven wins from seven games so far this season.

Sunderland were without club captain Lucy Staniforth but there was starts for Rachel Pitman and Zaneta Wyne.

Steph Houghton made her 100th Manchester City appearance and she was just one of three former Sunderland players in the Manchester City starting XI.

It was the visitors who started the brighter but they failed to test Rachael Laws in the opening few minutes.

The first half chance fell the way of Abbie McManus in the 10th minute but she could only drill wide after being teed up by Jill Scott.

Dominique Bruinenberg registered Sunderland’s first shot on target in the 11th minute but it proved a comfortable save for Karen Bardsley.

Sunderland were caught off guard when Houghton was allowed to drive all the way through in the 18th minute. After dribbling past five Sunderland players, the Manchester City skipper pulled the ball across goal but Claire Emslie’s sliding effort failed to find the target.

Laws was forced into saves from Scott and Keira Walsh as the visitors started to take control but Sunderland were still looking a threat when going forward.

A promising Sunderland attack on the half hour mark saw Bruinenberg link up with Kasia Lipka and Pitman but Bardsley was able to deny Pitman.

Manchester City had the ball in the net in the 32nd minute when Emslie stabbed home but it was ruled out for an obvious foul on Laws.

However, the visitors wouldn’t be kept at bay for much longer as they broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. McManus whipped a cross into the penalty area which Christiansen headed towards goal and Parris was on hand to stab home.

Before the break, Emslie curled an effort towards the far corner but it just say evaded Laws’ goal and the Lady Black Cats went into the break still in the game.

Following a quiet start to the second half, Manchester City Women doubled their lead in the 56th minute. Parris turned provider as she burst down the wing before picking out Christiansen with a cross who guided a header into the net.

Christiansen could have collected a second less than 10 minutes later when her dangerous cross-cum-shot was destined for the far top corner but Laws did well to claw the ball to safety.

Nadia Nadim forced another save from Laws before City sealed the points in the 73rd minute as Parris collected her brace. Parris latched onto a long ball and outmuscled Sjoman before firing in off the far post.

Bridget Galloway had a great chance to grab a consolation in the 90th minute. The England under-19 international was played through on goal but when one-on-one with Bardsley, her powerful drive was narrowly too high.

It could have been four in injury time when Nadim headed narrowly wide but it counted for little as Manchester City claimed a comfortable victory.

Full-time: Sunderland Ladies 0-3 Manchester City Women

Next up for me is Hartlepool United Reserves vs South Shields on Tuesday night.

Sunderland Ladies: Laws, Sharp, Stewart, Williams (c), Sjoman, Pitman (Brown, 43′), Lipka, Wyne (Lambert, 82′), Joice (Young, 68′), Bruinenberg, Galloway

Unused subs: Preuss, Staniforth

Manchester City Women: Bardsley, Stokes, Beattie, Houghton (c), McManus, Christiansen, Walsh, Scott (Ross, 61′), Parris (Spetsmark, 76′), Nadim, Emslie (Lawley, 56′)

Unused subs: Roebuck, Jans, Stanway, Toone

Admission: £5 adults, £2.50 concessions

Programme: £1

Attendance: 978

Referee: Helen Conley