BETH’S BACK TO HAUNT OLD PALS

SUNDERLAND LADIES EXIT CONTINENTAL TYRES CUP IN QUARTER-FINAL

Arsenal Ladies’ Beth Mead scored against her former club as the Gunners booked their place in the FA Women’s Super League Continental Tyres Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Sunderland Ladies.

Jordan Nobbs opened the scoring after just 15 minutes yesterday, heading Lisa Evans’ excellent cross past keeper Rachael Laws.

Striker Vivianne Miedema added a second, nodding in Danielle Carter’s centre, before half-time to put the Gunners in control.

Bridget Galloway pulled a goal back for Sunderland, and Dominique Bruinenberg came close to an equaliser when her long-range shot had keeper Sari Van Veenendaal scrambling but the ball drifted the wrong side of the post.

But Mead sealed the win in Joe Montemurro’s first game in charge of Arsenal, driving a fierce shot into the bottom corner of Laws’ net.

Sunderland captain Lucy Staniforth said: “It was very frustrating to put in a performance like that in the second half, but we didn’t manage to do it for the whole 90 minutes.

“I think we had a long, hard look at ourselves at half-time and knew we had to be better.

“Credit to the girls, we did do that and got a goal and we thought we were in it, but, with Arsenal’s quality, they’re always in with a shout of scoring a goal whenever.

“We knew what we needed to do before the game began and that was purely work hard for each other and have a bit of quality on the ball. Unfortunately there was just a bit missing in the first half.”

Arsenal captain Jordan Nobbs said: “I thought our first half performance was brilliant.

“Second half, we needed to better but hopefully that will come in time, working with Joe and getting ourselves back into good form.”