SAFC Ladies 0-2 London City Lionesses
Attendance: 262
Sunderland Ladies suffered defeat on Sunday afternoon at Eppleton, as London City claimed a two-goal victory.
Carly Girasoli put the visitors ahead just four minutes in, with Rianna Jarrett sealing London's three points late on following a succession of Lasses chances.
The result leaves Mel Reay's side seventh in the FA Women's Championship after eight games, with 11 points.
Reay recalled a number of regular starters to her XI following Thursday's Continental Cup win at Blackburn Rovers, with Keira Ramshaw, Neve Herron and Jessica Brown all in from the beginning.
But the Lasses went behind from the first chance of the game, when a set-play was unable to be cleared and Girasoli smashed the ball past Allison Cowling from close range.
The visitors continued to push, with Girasoli and Jarrett again going close inside the area, whilst Grace McCatty and Emma Kelly's strikes from distance were the most Sunderland could muster in the way of shots before half-time.
A terrific lift from the Lasses occurred after the break, creating a succession of chances around the hour mark. Emily Scarr was denied by goalkeeper Charlotte Fleming from the right-hand side of the area, before McCatty's header off the crossbar denied her a third in three games.
Herron then forced Fleming into an acrobatic save with a tremendous curling left-footed shot from outside the box, before the stopper then thwarted Ramshaw's header.
A change in system saw Holly Manders and Eve Blakey introduced, and Manders' powerful cross-shot arrowed just off target with six minutes to go.
But that was to be the final chance to level the scores, as Jarrett finished from inside the area following a good double-save from Cowling to make it 2-0.
The Lasses now dust themselves down this week and prepare for a long journey down the M1 to take on Watford next Sunday.
SAFC Ladies: Cowling; Mullen (Blakey 81'), McCatty, Potts, Griffiths; Brown (Manders 58'), Kelly, Joice, Herron; Ramshaw (c); Scarr.
Subs not used: Moan, Ede, McInnes, Beer.