FA WSL 1 leaders Chelsea were humbled 4-0 at Sunderland – thanks to Beth Mead’s stunning second-half hat-trick in front of a bumper crowd of over a thousand.
After a tight opening 45 minutes the match burst into life in dramatic fashion after the break.
The Londoners simply couldn't cope with Mead's relentless drive and expert finishing, as third-placed Sunderland closed the gap at the top to just two points.
Sunderland 4-0 Chelsea
FA Women's Super League with BT Sport 1
Saturday 18 July
Hetton Centre, Sunderland
Chelsea brought an international-laden squad with England’s World Cup stars Katie Chapman and Eniola Aluko in the starting line-up,plus South Korean superstar Ji So-Yun, while new signing Fran Kirby had to make do with a place on the bench.
Sunderland took the lead in the 54th minute when a mix-up in the Chelsea defence saw Mead clean through and she made no mistake, picking her spot low in the left-hand corner.
Four minutes later, it was 2-0, when a similar mistake by the Blues again saw Mead capitalise, this time from the left-hand side of the area.
Her hat-trick came in the 72nd minute – bundling home the ball on the line – before Abby Holmes added a fourth late on, her cross looping past Hedvig Lindahl into the far corner of the net to leave Chelsea stunned.
Sunderland: Hilde Gunn Olsen, Abby Holmes, Stephanie Bannon (C), Victoria Greenwell, Rachel Furness, Brooke Chaplen (Sarah McFadden, 72), Keira Ramshaw (Emma Kelly, 85), Stephanie Roche (Abbey Joice, 72), Bethany Mead, Kelley McDougall, Victoria Williams.
Substitutes not used: Gemma Wilson, Hayley Sharp.
Chelsea: Hedvig Lindahl, Hannah Blundell (Marija Banusic, 54), Millile Bright (Drew Spence, 56), Gilly Flaherty, Nimah Fahey, Gemma Davison, Claire Rafferty, Ana Borges, Katie Chapman (C), Ji So Yun, Eniola Aluko (Millie Farrow, 72).
Substitutes not used: Marie Houran, Fran Kirby, Anne Meiwald, Laura Rafferty.
Attendance: 1,004
