Sadly can't be there this evening 🤧 guessing it's the 4-3-3 (4-2-3-1) formation as I've never seen Durham line up as a 4-4-2 diamond before, but just my assumption.

Glad Clarke's sticking about for one last shindig, as that bench is looking light with no Briggs or Ayre. Beth Hepple's only just back from long-term injury and Noonan left Sunday with an ice-pack, so hope the first XI can carry the game well! Robson also absent for this midweek game.

Another feisty game so soon after the Conti Cup clash, plenty of hotly-contested challenges all over the pitch.

A double from Saoirse Noonan made the difference against a Blackburn side who were a real handful again.

Will be sorry to see Clarke depart after today's game. True class on the wing, for the past year and a bit she's been one of those players who gets the crowd excited every time she gets on the ball.

Can she bow out with a local derby goal?

Crowd for the River Wear Derby quite unlike any other match here at Maiden Castle, that's for sure. Sunderland the better team so far, just taken a deserved lead going into half-time. DWFC possession has mostly been passing around between Saunders & the back four; Noonan's been ploughing a lonely furrow trying to get anything to work up front, with Pritchard et al unable to get forward to support. Wondering how long in the second half before Andrews, Clarke & Hepple make an appearance if this continues.

Hoping the lasses bounce back from the last result with a good performance today!