Sangaré header sees London City Lionesses beat Sunderland in FA Cup

London City Lionesses avoided a shock FA Cup exit by winning at Sunderland, Wassa Sangaré’s glancing header from a Grace Geyoro corner early in the second half giving the visitors the lead.

The result denied the possibility of a rare lower-tier upset: since the WSL began in 2011 no third-tier side has knocked out a top-tier club, and second-tier victories over top-flight teams have been uncommon. The report contrasted such upsets with the scale of the gap between Sunderland and the big-spending London City Lionesses.

The Lionesses dominated possession after the goal and saw Kosovare Asllani introduced from the bench. Sunderland battled and created occasional chances from set pieces; Rhiannon Roberts had a blocked shot and goalkeeper Grace Moloney punched clear when Isobel Goodwin looked set to head home, while Geyoro’s control in midfield was repeatedly noted.

The home side defended well to keep the scoreline at 1-0, and the win gave new head coach Eder Maestre his first victory in charge in English football after his goalless debut at Liverpool.

Key Topics

Sports, London City Lionesses, Sunderland, Women's Fa Cup, Wassa Sangaré, Grace Geyoro