DURHAM WOMEN grabbed the North-East bragging rights by soaring to an emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland Ladies at a sold-out Maiden Castle this lunchtime.

Mollie Lambert, Dee Bradley and Beth Hepple all netted to fire Lee Sanders’ side to their tenth win of the season on the penultimate weekend of the campaign.

The result solidified the hosts’ status in the FA Women’s Championship top six while Sunderland remain in ninth, 11 points behind their local rivals.

Durham came racing out of the blocks in front of a bumper crowd and required just three minutes to seize the advantage.

Hepple and Rio Hardy combined fluently in the Sunderland box before midfield dynamo Lambert, 23, coolly fired home.

Durham sensed blood and continued to bombard the struggling Sunderland defence, striking the bar just seven minutes later when Becky Salicki’s cross deceived Sunderland keeper Claudia Moan.

Moan then made a solid save to thwart Sarah Robson’s header before Lauren Briggs curled narrowly wide.

The visitors kept Sanders’ side at bay until the break but it didn’t take long for Durham to double their advantage just after the interval.

Moan was unable to keep hold of Hepple’s long-range strike and American ace Bradley was on hand to squeeze home the rebound.

That left Sunderland with a mountain to climb and just two minutes later, Durham sealed the contest.

Hepple expertly engineered some space on the edge of the box before curling home a brilliant effort to establish a commanding 3-0 lead.

Moan then denied Hepple netting her second with a fine save when set through on goal, before Ellie Christon hit the woodwork after Durham caught Moan out once again.

Grace McCatty did go close to cutting the gap for Sunderland before Bridget Galloway was miraculously denied by some last-ditch Black Cats defending.

But Durham were kept at three to decisively claim local bragging rights and continue their solid FA Women’s Championship season.

* To follow the action and sign up for The FA Player’s live Barclays FA Women’s Super League coverage visit womenscompetitions.thefa.com