The Lasses tested Fran Stenson in the first half as she pulled off two very saves from Rachel McLauchlan and, more impressively, Martha Thomas.

United restricted Sunderland to just one shot on target throughout the full 90 minutes, and ultimately both sides struggled to muster big chances on goal in the second half.

A point on the road also ensures that Tanya Oxtoby's side maintain their three-point gap at the top of the table.

The hosts looked to impose themselves from kick-off when the ever-dangerous Katy Watson squirmed past Kaitlyn Torpey on the byline and picked out Elise Hughes at the near post, but the Welsh forward's flick found the side netting.

It was a tense opening to the game, but McLauchlan came close to scoring her first goal for Newcastle just after ten minutes when her strike from 25 yards out was smartly tipped over by the outstretched arm of Stenson.

United came even closer from the resulting corner as Jordan Nobbs sent her cross in deep to the back post for Kathleen McGovern to attack, but her free header dropped wide of Stenson's goal.

Sunderland were once again patting their number one on the back for keeping them in the game just before the half-hour mark after a stunning low save. With little support on the right, Beth Lumsden delivered an early low cross to Thomas who got ahead of her marker to sweep her effort towards goal, but at the last second Stenson got her fingertips to it and diverted it around her post.

A chaotic two minutes presented United with two chances to take the lead. First, Thomas once again got across her marker, but with Nobbs' cross just behind her, she couldn’t whip her effort on target.

Just a few moments later, substitute Leanne Kiernan stung the palms of Stenson, whose save fell to Lumsden, and with the ball bouncing in front of her, the number 26 couldn't get over it as her strike was lashed well wide.

Newcastle United Women: Anna Tamminen, Jordan Nobbs, Kathleen McGovern (Mollie Lambert 46), Hanna Németh, Hildur Antonsdóttir (Leanne Kiernan, Martha Thomas, Kaitlyn Torpey, Lois Joel, Gemma Evans, Beth Lumsden (Freya Gregory 74), Rachel McLauchlan (c)

Subs not used: Kayl Rendell, Charlotte Wardlaw, Jemma Purfield, Ashanti Akpan, Aoife Mannion, Jessie Gale, Leanne Kiernan