SUNDERLAND'S 19-year-old allrounder' Steph Houghton capped a fine personal season by being named Nationwide Young Player of the Year.

The Black Cats skipper finally made her mark at full international level during the past season, having impressed in England Under-17s and Under-19 sides in recent years.

Despite the disappointing season on the club front, which saw Sunderland narrowly relegated from the FA Premier National Division, Houghton progressed to become a regular in national team coach Hope Powell's squads during recent months.

She will be hoping to have done enough to earn a spot in the 21-strong squad for the World Cup finals in September.

Houghton, who features in centre midfield for Sunderland, has been used more as a mobile right-back for the national side.

She received the accolade during the ninth annual FA Women's Awards, in London, at which Fara Williams, of Everton, was named FA International Player of the Year, and Kelly Smith of Arsenal took the FA Players' Player of the Year.

It was one of six awards scooped by Arsenal, having swept the board by lifting all four trophies available to them, including the Women's UEFA Cup for the first time, during an unbeaten season.

The Gunners were named Club of the Year, an award won by Newcastle United last year.

Arsenal's old hand in the dug-out, for both men and women's sides, Vic Akers, was named Manager of the Year, while Lianne Sanderson, who notched 28 times during the past season, took the award for leading scorer at Premier Division level.

The following evening Houghton picked up further awards at the Sunderland club presentation night, staged at Boldon Cricket Club.

She was named Manager's Player of the Season as well as top scorer for the first-team.

Meanwhile, Sunderland's Demi Stokes scored the late equaliser for England Under-17s which took them to extra-time and an ultimate 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory against Sweden, in the Finnish Four-Nation Tournament last weekend.

England were also on the spot in the semi-final, beating hosts Finland 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out, after a goalless draw.

The national Under-19s side, which may feature Sunderland goalkeeper Helen Alderson, was drawn to meet France, Poland and Spain in Group B of the Euro Under-19s Championship Finals, in Iceland, in July.

The hosts are in the slightly tougher section, with holders Germany, plus strong Scandinavian sides Denmark and Norway.