Lady Cats’ spirited comeback at Palace leaves coach Mel buzzing
Mel Reay has hailed her Sunderland Ladies side’s reaction to fighting back from a goal down to claim a point at Crystal Palace and maintain their unbeaten start to the FA Women’s Championship season.
Substitute Keira Ramshaw cancelled out Millie Farrow’s second-half opener within six minutes on Sunday, as the Lady Cats made it two wins and a draw from their opening three FA Women’s Championship games.
Both sides created chances in an entertaining match that could have gone either way, with the Cats facing their toughest test of the season so far and their first of a series of long-haul trips this side of Christmas.
“It was a really tough game,” Reay told the club’s website.
“We experienced an overnight stay for the first time in a long time.
"We had good preparation going into the game, but they caused us some real problems in the first half.
"We adjusted the shape slightly in the second half and it served us well.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the reaction.
"It’s the first goal we’ve conceded, and I wasn’t sure how they would cope, but we’ve gone up the other end within five or 10 minutes and got the equaliser.
"I’m delighted for Keira coming off the bench.”
Recovering from a knee injury suffered on the opening day, Ramshaw was forced to settle for a place among the substitutes as Reay kept faith with the team that had defeated Blackburn Rovers
at the Stadium of Light the previous Sunday.
Reay added: “She was champing at the bit to start but we kept the same team coming into the game and what an impact coming off the bench.
"It was the perfect reaction.”
The draw in south London sees Sunderland top of the table – a point in front of Sheffield United, Blackburn
Rovers, Durham and London City – heading into the international break, before the side return home to Eppleton against Lewes on Sunday, September 26.
Reay said: “It will be good to get back. Some of the players are going off on international duty – we’ll have three away – but we’ll regroup, have a little bit of time off and make sure we’re fully prepared going into Lewes.”