Watford were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland at Vicarage Road on Sunday, despite a spirited second-half response from the hosts.
Sunderland made the stronger start and quickly took control of the contest, with Sanni Franssi breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute.
The visitors continued to threaten and doubled their advantage just ten minutes later, as Elise Hughes found the back of the net to give Sunderland a two-goal cushion heading into the interval.
Watford returned from the break with greater intensity and began to put Sunderland under increased pressure as they looked for a way back into the game.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 74th minute when Vera Jones pulled a goal back, giving the Hornets hope of completing the comeback.
Watford continued to push for an equaliser during the closing stages, but Sunderland’s defence stood firm to see out the result and secure all three points.
The Hornets can take encouragement from their second-half performance, but Sunderland’s decisive start ultimately proved enough to secure victory at Vicarage Road.
