Arsenal LFC 2 Sunderland WFC 1
FA Women's Cup Final sponsored by E.ON
Gareth Davis reports from Pride Park Stadium

Arsenal claimed the 2009 FA Women's Cup with a victory over a gritty Sunderland side that was perhaps more emphatic than the scoreline suggested.

The Gunners were on top for almost all of the first half but had only Katie Chapman's 31st-minute goal to show for their endeavours.

Sunderland goalkeeper Helen Alderson produced a string of fine saves to keep her side's hopes up of an upset.

It wasn't until the second minute of stoppage-time at the end of the 90 that Arsenal eventually doubled their lead through the impressive Kim Little.

Even then, there was time for some late action as Vicki Greenwell came close to pulling one back, before Kelly McDougal did so right at the death.

But that was pretty much the last kick of the game as Arsenal saw it out to keep alive their hopes of a league and cup double.

A healthy Pride Park crowd greeted the teams for the first-ever FA Women's Cup final at the stadium with a lively atmosphere to get the game underway.

Arsenal, regulars at this stage of the competition, started brightly and might have been in front on three minutes when Suzanne Grant was sent away by Gemma Davison's pass.

Grant had time on her side but fired wide as Sunderland keeper Helen Alderson came out to narrow the angle, and five minutes later Alderson had her first serious action when she gathered Davison's low 20-yarder.

Sunderland were taking a while to settle, but they showed some promise on 12 with a break down the left that saw Sophie Williams pull the ball back to Jordan Nobbs who couldn't get enough power on her shot while under pressure.

The Black Cats were beginning to find their feet but they always had to be wary of Arsenal's ability on the break and almost came a cropper six minutes later through Davison, who picked up Rachel Yankey's crossfield pass and carved out a shot from 20 yards that Alderson held well.

And when Alderson fumbled Suzanne Grant's low shot from an angle, it looked as if either Yankey or Katie Chapman would finish it off only for Lucy Bronze to come up with a tremendous clearance off the line.

Alderson was certainly the busiest player on the pitch and produced her best save so far with 27 on the clock as she got a strong hand to Little's well-hit low effort and turned the ball around the post.

And Sunderland's number one was arguably the key component in Arsenal taking the lead just after the half-hour mark.

Little created the opportunity for Davison, whose powerful 20-yarder was dropped by Alderson into the path of Katie Chapman who made no mistake with a firm finish from close-range.

It was no less than the Gunners deserved after dominating for the most part but it was also a disappointing goal for Sunderland to concede.

And three minutes before the break they should really have doubled their lead. Little, enjoying an outstanding first 45, turned well in front of the defence and sent Suzanne Grant away in behind, but the number nine screwed her shot wastefully wide of the post.

Turning around for the second half just a goal down was probably the best that Sunderland could have hoped for given the way the opening 45 had gone.

And with just one goal to recover and get themselves back in the game, you never know what might happen.

The Black Cats, to their credit, did come out sharply for the second half and began to get in Arsenal's faces more, before offering a real threat when Williams escaped on the left only for Gunners keeper Emma Byrne to claim her cross well.

However their momentum was halted 11 minutes into the second period when Williams went into a challenge with goalscorer Chapman and was down for some time.

It wasn't immediately clear what had happened but the medics were quickly on to tend to the Sunderland number nine.

Chapman, it must be said, was completely blameless, this was simply one of those unfortunate incidents that happen in games from time to time.

Williams's injury wasn't clear but she left the field on a stretcher after six minutes of treatment. A neck brace was applied and the number nine was also given oxygen.

The injury to one of their team-mates clearly gave Sunderland's players an extra motivation to go out and recover the game as they stepped it up again without seriously threatening an equaliser.

And they might have been caught out through skipper Jane Ludlow, who just failed to reach Yankey's teasing cross, while Ciara Grant stabbed a snap-shot just past the post on 70 minutes.

It perhaps should have been all over just three minutes later through substitute Lander, who was sent through for her first real involvement since coming on.

She had plenty of time to think about her finish but Alderson came to the rescue, blocking Lander's shot with her feet.

Alderson then snatched the ball in front of goal on 82 after Ludlow aimed in a header with the Gunners looking for the strike that would surely seal glory for them.

Ross headed a Yankey corner down into the ground with the red surge continuing and time ticking down, but Arsenal eventually sealed victory in the second minute of stoppage-time.

It came from perhaps their best player on the day, Kim Little, who was sent clear on a long pass and showed great awareness to turn away from Alderson's challenge and roll the ball into an empty net.

At the other end Byrne made her first serious save of the afternoon, an acrobatic tip over to keep out Vicky Greenwell's 20-yard chip, but it would have been nothing more than a consolation for Sunderland.

The Black Cats, massive underdogs going into the game, never let their spirit drop despite being up against an extremely strong Arsenal outfit.

Indeed, they did get their goal as Kelly McDougal finished well when a throw-in dropped inside the Arsenal area, but the final whistle went shortly after the restart to spark joyous celebrations for those in red and white.

Arsenal LFC: Emma Byrne, Jane Ludlow (C), Gilly Flaherty, Ciara Grant, Suzanne Grant (Helen Lander 59), Rachel Yankey, Gemma Davison (Natalie Ross 81), Laura Bassett (Faye White 90), Kim Little, Katie Chapman, Niamh Fahey.

Substitutes: Rebecca Spencer (GK), Eartha Pond.

Sunderland WFC: Helen Alderson, Lucy Bronze, Sophie Halliday, Jordan Nobbs, Stephanie Bannon (C), Vicki Greenwell, Lucy Staniforth, Kelly McDougal, Sophie Williams (Nicola Devinie 62), Natalie Gutteridge (Sarah Danby 83), Demi Stokes.

Substitutes: Rachael Laws (GK), Steph O'Brien, Abbey Holmes.

Attendance: 23,291.