WSL: Notts County Ladies 4-2 Sunderland Ladies

Notts County Ladies secured back to back wins for the first time this season

Notts County beat Sunderland to move up to third in Women's Super League One.

Beth Mead put Sunderland ahead with a chipped effort, only for Notts to respond with two goals in two minutes from Ellen White.

Sunderland's Victoria Greenwell had a header tipped onto the bar before goals from Jess Clarke and Rachel Williams made it 4-1 to the hosts at half-time.

Williams gifted the visitors a second-half goal, inadvertently directing a Greenwell free-kick into her own net.

Notts have now scored nine goals in their last two league games heading into Sunday's FA Women's Cup semi-final against Everton at Goodison Park.

Mead opened the scoring on five minutes in fine style, turning her defender and cutting in from the left before lifting the ball delicately over England keeper Carly Telford.

Kelly McDougall almost added a second from close range before Danielle Buet's free-kick was deflected in by White to equalise on 22 minutes.

Soon after Williams slipped the ball through for White to place past Rachel Laws, while a fine save from Telford and an acrobatic overhead clearance on the line from Amy Turner kept the visitors at bay.

England winger Clarke, the Lady Magpies' leading scorer last season, opened her account for 2015 and Williams nodded in a fourth from a Sophie Walton cross before the break.

Sunderland were more defensively resolute in the second half, but chances were limited at the other end with Mead shooting wide before Williams headed past her own keeper.

Notts County Ladies: Telford, Greenwood, Bassett, Turner, Walton, Clarke, Buet, Crichton, A Whelan (Susi 70), White, Williams (O'Sullivan 77).

Substitutes not used: Draycott, F Whelan, Plumptre, O'Neil.

Sunderland Ladies: Laws, Williams, Sharp, Bannon (Wilson 31), Greenwell, McFadden (Hill 89), McDougall, Chaplen, Joice, Ramshaw, Mead.

Substitutes not used: Bass, Gutteridge.

Attendance: 517

Referee: Lisa Rashid

England international Jess Clarke celebrates scoring her first goal of the season