Neve Herron scores twice to give Sunderland Ladies crucial 2-0 victory over Charlton Athletic

The young midfielder’s second half brace – and a player of the match display from goalkeeper Claudia Moan – ended a run of seven league games without a win for the Black Cats to all but guarantee them a place in the second-tier next season.

Herron pounced on a loose ball to fire the hosts into the lead on the hour, then doubled the advantage from the spot in stoppage time, while Moan pulled off a succession of superb saves to keep the Addicks out.

Despite turning in some good performances Mel Reay’s side have struggled to take the chances their possession and good play have deserved, and from the early stages of Sundays game things looked to be following a similar pattern.