Report: Palace Women grab massive win in promotion hunt

Summary:

Blanchard is in for her 100th Palace appearance, whilst academy players Lee and Moynihan are included for the first time.

• 6: A clever free-kick routine finds Howat in space, but she can't get her shot right
• 20: GOAL - Blanchard opens the scoring on her 100th appearance
• 27: The hosts almost pull level after a succession of dangerous corners
• 31: GOAL - Larkin picks out Weerden at the back post and Palace have their second
• 33: Palace work the same move again, but Weerden heads over the bar from close-range
• HT: Sunderland 0-2 Palace
• 48: GOAL - Watson pulls one back for Sunderland
• 54: Slack back pass is almost punished by Dale
• 71: Griffiths has her shot blocked by the Palace defence
• 85: Lambourne saves well from Larkin's shot
• 90+4: Brown goes close to sealing it for Palace, but her effort is wide
• FT: Sunderland 1-2 Palace

Early goals from Annabel Blanchard and Ashleigh Weerden saw the Eagles grab a crucial 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light.

With Newcastle losing at Bristol City, Palace have confirmed a place in the promotion playoff as a minimum.

Birmingham City's home defeat to Ipswich Town means that Jo Potter's side are still in with a chance at automatic promotion on the final day.

It was a perfect first-half for Jo Potter's side up in the North East, as they went into the break two goals to the good.

Kirsty Howat should have grabbed an early opener for the Eagles on the sixth minute after a well worked free-kick routine found her in space, but the Scotland international fired just wide.

Just 14 minutes later and Palace had their lead, with Annabel Blanchard scoring on her 100th appearance for the club.

Abbie Larkin's chipped through-ball bounced fortuitously off the back of a Sunderland centre-back, with Blanchard bringing the ball down and firing beyond Demi Lambourne in the Sunderland net.

Palace's latest centurion wheeled away in celebration as the team in gold went 1-0 up in the Stadium of Light.

The Eagles had their second on 31 minutes, this time from the left boot of Ashleigh Weerden.

Hayley Ladd found Larkin on the right-wing, and the young Ireland star turned her defender and fired a vicious ball across the box.

There waiting at the back post was Weerden, who had the simplest of tasks in tapping home to put Palace 2-0 up.

Palace's number 11 could have put her side 3-0 up before half-time after Larkin played a similar ball just minutes later, but Weerden's header was just over the bar.

It wasn't the ideal start to the second-half however, as Sunderland's Katy Watson pulled one back for her side just three minutes in.

A lax backpass moments after that almost lead to a home equaliser, but goalkeeper Shae Yañez smothered the ball well.

Despite a shaky start to the second 45, Potter's side held firm and finished the game the stronger side, with Larkin and substitute Lola Brown going close to a Palace third.

This result puts Palace into second-place, an automatic promotion spot, with Charlton Athletic playing later in the day.

Should the Addicks fail to win on the south coast, automatic promotion will be in Palace's hands on the final day.

That game is against Portsmouth on Saturday 2nd May, kicking off at 15:00 BST at the VBS Community Stadium - make sure you get your tickets by clicking below!

Sunderland: Lambourne (GK), Roberts, Watson (Jones, 89) Dale, Kitching (McInnes, 75), Brown, Fenton (Scarr, 75) Finn (Greenwood, 65) Sheva, Griffiths (Blades, 88), Westrup

Subs not used: Moloney (GK), Paxton, Parker, Blades, Blench

Palace: Yañez (GK), Cato, Everett, Sharpe, Howat (Hughes, 70), Weerden, Ladd, Blanchard (Brown, 86), Newell, Larkin, Swaby

Subs not used: Annets, Arthur, Brown, Nolan, Brady, Littlejohn, Lee, Moynihan