Women's Championship - It's Still A Season To Remember

After something of a roller-coaster of a season, sadly, it wasn't meant to be for the lasses as their promotion dreams were dashed after losing 1-0 at home to Charlton Athletic on Sunday. To be even typing a sentence of that nature shows that, if we're absolutely honest, this season has massively exceeded all expectations.

With Crystal Palace winning at Lewes, they are all but up due to a hugely superior goal difference over Charlton. If Sunderland can win next week at Palace, a tough ask I realise, then they will secure second place should the Addicks fail to beat Southampton. That in itself, would be a massive achievement. The fact that there are no playoffs and only one promotion place up for grabs is a bit of a bone of contention for me and really needs looking at by the powers that be, but that is a debate for another time.

The players and staff warrant an enormous amount of credit for the way they have gone about their business during this campaign. It may not feel like it now, but it will make Mel Reay and this group much stronger when going into next season. The squad doesn't need major surgery, just a few additions to add strength in depth, and if those signings prove to be good ones, then Sunderland really can go on and win promotion to the Super League at the climax of the 2024/25 season. The league itself will look strong, with Bristol City looking likely to be relegated and there will of course be two derbies with Durham. Charlton and Southampton will be forces once again, and then there's the small matter of another North-East team that will be plying their trade in the second tier. I can't quite think who that might be, can you?

In the end, promotion has proved one step too far, but that does not mean that this season has been a failure. Far from it. The recruitment of players has been a fantastic plus for the club, and when we couple that with the hybrid model that has been implemented with a lot of players going full time, the fruits of that are plain to see. Claudia Moan is arguably the best keeper in the league and is a popular pick for Sunderland's player of the season. Tash Fenton would get my vote. She rarely puts a foot wrong and has been a key player for the lasses this season. Jenna Dear and Mary McAteer have been great additions and Emily Scarr's progression is there for all to see. In terms of the depth of the squad, that may well have hindered Sunderland at times this season, but the flip side of that is there are a batch of very talented young players waiting in the wings to try and force their way into a regular starting spot. Marry that nucleus together with three or four established players and Sunderland will certainly be there or thereabouts for promotion again next season. What the lasses have achieved this season will only naturally, raise expectations.

The end of the season also marks the end of Grace McCatty's football career as the 34 year old has taken the decision to retire from the game after spending six seasons on Wearside, making 111 appearances for the lasses in that time. Speaking to safc.com just prior to Sunday's game against Charlton, when announcing the decision, Grace said:

"It's not been an easy decision. I was saying to the girls that I joined my first football team in 1994, if you had told me back then what I know now and the experiences I'd gone through, I couldn't have asked for more in my career. 

The first time I spoke to Mel about coming to Sunderland, I said I wanted to play a part in getting the club back to where it belongs. Here we are six years later so close to achieving that and I feel like it's a good time to go out.

I'm proud of what I have achieved and while it's hard to say goodbye, I think it's time for the next chapter."

Whatever Grace chooses to do after hanging up her boots, I'm sure it goes without saying that everyone connected to SAFC wishes her all the very best for the future.

'Well, where did that come from?'

Well, where did that come from?

Sunderland produced their best performance for some time in the Welsh capital, as they brushed aside a Cardiff City side with two first half goals. The win, and a very welcome three points, ended a dismal run of form and finally allays any minor doubts of an unthinkable slide towards the bottom three. In truth, given the quality our squad possesses, that was always going to be unlikely. Our victory is the first since a 3-1 home win over Plymouth Argyle on 10th February.

As for the match itself, the opening exchanges in Wales were a little concerning, but once we had settled into the game, there only really looked like one winner. The penalty was a contentious one, and if it had been given against us, well, I'd have been disappointed to say the least. We should have had one at home to Leicester after Dan Ballard was fouled in stoppage time, but I guess it is a hell of a lot easier to point to the spot in the 12th minute of a game as opposed to the 90th. They say these things even themselves out over a season, though sometimes it doesn't feel like it. With talisman and regular penalty taker Jack Clarke still sidelined through injury, Adil Aouchiche took responsibility and smashed the ball home to put Sunderland 1-0 up. Fifteen minutes later, he teed up Jobe Bellingham who slotted in his 7th goal of the campaign. Jobe made the kind of run into the box that our forwards haven't been making at all this season, and Aouchiche picked him out nicely, giving Cardiff a mountain to climb at that stage.

I said after the QPR game that Aouchiche needed to start as many of the remaining fixtures as possible, and it looks like he has repaid Mike Dodds' faith in him with two good performances, particularly this latest one. It has taken him a long time to recover from being hung out to dry by Michael Beale at Ipswich, but now he is starting to show glimpses of the player we thought we were getting in the summer. The talent has never been in question, rather more an issue with consistency, and I think with a good pre-season under his belt, Adil will be a big player for us next season.

Jobe Bellingham needs a special mention also, as I feel he lead the line exceptionally well at Cardiff. We know he has done it before, but this was probably his best performance in the centre forward's role in his time at Sunderland. He got two good goals against Rotherham at the beginning of the season, and was unlucky not to bag four that day, but this latest shift in a Sunderland shirt showed maturity beyond his years. It is a huge ask for any player, let alone one of such a young age, to play as a deep lying midfielder, occasionally a little further forward, in behind the striker, as a false nine or as a centre-forward, all in one season, but Jobe has done all of that already and never looked out of place. Yes, his form has dipped, but that happens with young players. In fact, it happens with most players. He said in his post match interview that he "isn't arsed where he plays, as long as it's in red and white" which I thought was brilliant. He is young, but he has a mature head on his shoulders. The way he conducts himself off the pitch as well as on it is testament to how he has been brought up. His older brother Jude is the same. It will be a big season for Jobe next season and I'm extremely excited to see what it brings.

Mike Dodds used the phrase "professional performance" on more than one occasion during his post match interview at Cardiff. I completely understand what he was getting at, but I think he was doing his players a slight disservice. Yes, they were professional in the way that they stuck to the game plan and took on board the information that the coaching staff had given them prior to kick off, particularly the threat Cardiff posed from set pieces, which we dealt with admirably. It has been our achilles heel for as long as I can remember. 

I thought the players showed real maturity for the way they approached what has always been a difficult Championship fixture to navigate. The back four looked solid, and kept a second clean sheet in a row. A special mention has to go to Dan Neil; I thought he was outstanding in the centre of the park. Neil divides opinion with our fan base; and sometimes I struggle to understand why. It is vital we keep hold of him this summer, but with more performances like this, it will be increasingly difficult to do so.

There are seven fixtures remaining and with the play offs almost certainly out of reach, Sunderland will be looking to end the season as strongly as possible and pick up as many points as we can. Patrick Roberts was back on the bench at Cardiff, and there was a cameo appearance from Bradley Dack also. I'd love to see young winger Tommy Watson accumulate some first team minutes this season to see what he can do at Championship level, and Mike Dodds has alluded to the fact that this may well be on the cards. Also, I think it goes without saying, that we'd all like to see Hemir grab his first goal in red and white. He had a great chance to do so at Cardiff, but sadly fluffed his lines. It will come, and when it does, it will be a huge weight off his shoulders. It is something I'd love to see, particularly if he can do it at the Stadium of Light in front of 40,000 supporters.

The season isn't over, and with seven games to go, we'll obviously try and win as many of them as we can before we take stock and analyze the season as a whole. We're certainly not a million miles away from where we want to be, and this summer will be key to realising our long term ambitions.

I'm doing 100 push-ups a day throughout April to help raise money for Cancer Research UK. The link to donate is below; let's see if I can get to my £100 target, helping to fund lifesaving research for what is a fantastic charity to support. 

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/michaels-giving-page-2298707677543336890985297393958721898321889952299822226899750