AFTER back-to-back wins in Super League 2, Durham team manager Lee Sanders believes his side’s new-found confidence can cause league leaders Sunderland problems in tonight’s North-East derby.

Durham make the short trip to the Hetton Centre for the game (7:30pm) having beaten Millwall and Watford to climb up to seventh in the table.

They face a tough test to make it a hat-trick of wins, though, with the Lady Black Cats, who sit five points clear at the top of the table, boasting an 11-game unbeaten run.

Having began life in WSL 2 with four straight defeats, Durham have made great strides in recent weeks and Sanders believes his team can go into any game believing they can win.

“I think the girls are playing with a lot of belief at the moment and we’ll take that into the game against Sunderland,” Sanders said. “We have improved since the start of the season and the team does look like it’s acclimatised to the league.

“The team certainly has the confidence to compete with anyone and we’ll certainly not be taking Sunderland lightly, that’s for sure.

“We have created a lot of chances in the last two games and we will go into this game trying to do the same thing.

“I think the fact we’ve improved at the back has given our midfielders and attackers more opportunities to get forward and we’ve really started to see the benefit of that recently.”

Sunderland had to show their battling qualities to come from behind to beat Aston Villa and keep their unbeaten record intact.

Claire Robinson’s team are heavy favourites to lift the WSL 2 title with their nearest rivals Doncaster Belles five points adrift, but midfielder Rachel Furness insists the Lady Black Cats will not be taking anything for granted against their neighbours.

“A local derby always has that added hype to it,” Furness said. “But for us we will just approach it and prepare for it like any other game.

“We know that Durham have picked up some good results of late so we are going into the game expecting a tough contest.

“I am really excited for the game, just as I am for every game.”

Furness is Sunderland’s second highest scorer with six, and the Northern Ireland international admits she is enjoying her debut season in the top flight.

She said: “Pre-season went really well for me and I pushed myself harder than I ever have before. I was happy to get a place in the team and every game I work on keeping it.

“I play each game as if it’s my last and people who know me know that I play with my heart on my sleeve. I love football and I am enjoying every second right now.”

Tickets are priced at Adults £4, U18s/O65s £1, SAFC Men’s Season Ticket Holders £2