By beating Millwall Lionesses yesterday at The Den, Sunderland Ladies finished the inaugural season of the FA WSL 2 as champions and, with it, earned promotion to the top tier, subject to meeting off-field licensing requirements.
Going into the final day of the season, Sunderland were top of the table, two points ahead of promotion rivals Doncaster Rovers Belles, but with an inferior goal difference. The Black Cats, who knew they needed all three points with the Belles expected to win, could have secured the title three weeks ago. A home victory against Donny, who were at the time eight points off the pace, would have made the match more comfortable for manager Mick Mulhern who had to listen to the match on the radio, due to work commitments as a police officer. But the Belles came out onto in that tight match, winning 2-1, and then were able to win their game in hand to set up a tense final day.