Huddersfield Town Ladies first team suffered their first defeat of the FA Women’s National League season in a frustrating 3-2 reversal to Sunderland AFC Ladies at Stafflex Arena.

Sunderland started with energy and took the lead in the fifth minute with an excellent strike into the top corner.

Town fought back at them and Brittany Sanderson had a good effort parried wide for a corner.

From the resulting flag kick the ball fell to Abi Lee who smashed it home, only for the assistant referee to raise his flag for offside – despite Sunderland having two players plus the goalkeeper on the goalline.

The game then became niggly, with the referee not really taking control and Town feeling hard done by after having what looked a perfectly good goal ruled out.

Town continued to press and Katie Nutter was the next to see her shot saved at the near post.

Sarah Danby then shot over from distance just before Town lost the dangerous Sanderson to a dead leg.

As half time approached, Town fell to a sucker punch.

A long ball over the top was latched onto by a Sunderland striker who lobbed Charlotte Oates in Town’s goal, so Town were 2-0 down at half time.

Town started the second half with more determination and were rewarded just five minutes in when Charley Evans slotted the ball home from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

In the 55th minute Nutter was upended in the penalty area and Kate Mallin stepped up to equalise for Town.

Town dominated the first 20 minutes of the second half and created a number of decent chances but, as the half wore on, Sunderland started to press forward and it took an excellent save by Oates at the feet of a striker to maintain equality.

Then Arianne Parnham saw her strong shot deflected onto the Sunderland post before Danby could only fire into the keeper’s arms after evading the Sunderland defence.

With 15 minutes remaining Mallin had a shot parried wide before, at the other end, Sunderland were awarded a free kick just outside Town’s box.

The ball was played centrally and then smashed home to give Sunderland what proved to be a winning lead.

Tomorrow, the first team entertain Doncaster Rovers Belles (7.45pm kick off) at Shelley FC and then, next Sunday, they travel to Middlesbrough Women (2pm kick off).