England star Fran Kirby struck twice as Chelsea completed the League and Cup double with an emphatic 4-0 win over Sunderland.
Twelve months on from final-day heartache where dropped points at Manchester City cost Chelsea The FA Women’s Super League with BT Sport 1 title, this time there were tears of joy as Ji So Yun and Gemma Davison added a goal apiece.
It only took seven minutes for Ji to put Chelsea in front when Eniola Aluko found her unmarked in the box, allowing the forward to apply a typically cool finish into the bottom right corner.
Chelsea 4-0 Sunderland
FA Women's Super League with BT Sport 1
Sunday 4 October
Wheatsheaf Park, Staines Town FC
Kirby had the chance to double the lead after a lucky deflection saw her through on goal but she chipped the ball over a sprawling Hilde-Gunn Olsen and narrowly wide of the post.
The lead was almost extended two minutes into the second half as no-one in a striped shirt could clear Gilly Flaherty’s bouncing effort that hit the far post from Ji’s corner.
The away side provided an immediate scare when Beth Mead was free to shoot inches wide of the right post from the edge of the box.
After a frantic start to the second half Chelsea found a way through the Sunderland defence with Gemma Davison powering into the box before picking out Kirby who slid in to finish at the back post.
Kirby eased any remaining nerves when she sent a brilliant left-foot shot curling into the top left corner of the goal, followed by Davison rounding off a fine performance, and the Blues' maiden FA WSL 1 crown with a goal of her own.
Chelsea Ladies (4-3-3): Hedvig Lindahl; Hannah Blundell, Gilly Flaherty, Niamh Fahey, Claire Rafferty; Katie Chapman, Drew Spence; Gemma Davison; Fran Kirby, Eniola Aluko Ji So Yun
Substitutes: Millie Bright for Spence 61, Laura Coombs for Ji 75, Marie Hourihan for Lindahl 82
Substitutes not used: Ana Borges, Jodie Brett, Anne Meiwald, Rosella Ayane
Sunderland AFC Ladies (4-4-1-1): Hilde-Gunn Olsen; Abby Holmes, Stephanie Bannon, Victoria Williams, Victoria Greenwell; Emma Kelly, Rachel Furness, Kelly McDougall, Keira Ramshaw; Abbey Joice; Beth Mead
Substitutes: Stephanie Roche for Kelly 69, Charlotte Potts for Holmes 78, Shannon Etherington for Ramshaw 87
Substitutes not used: Alice Harkness, Megan Beer, Danielle Brown, Madelaine Hill
Referee: Adrian Quelch
Attendance: 2,710
