Lewes aim to bounce back quickly after loss at Leicester

Impressive Leicester dominated Lewes, who were well beaten despite the narrow scoreline. The hosts were unable to add to Paige Bailey-Gayle’s 30th-minute goal despite having control of the game for long spells.

Little separated the two sides in the table before kick-off but there was no doubting Leicester’s superiority as dogged Lewes defending kept them in contention.

Lewes were the architects of their own undoing when Leicester edged in front on the half hour. Defender Sophie O’Rourke failed to spot Bailey-Gayle as she dealt with an innocuous high ball and the speedy winger lashed an instant shot high into the net.

The hosts merited the advantage for their bulk of possession in a half of few chances. The nearest Lewes came was an early Katie Rodd blast that flew just wide. Leicester stepped up the pace significantly after the break, pinning the visitors in their half for long periods.

The lively Bailey-Gayle stung Laura Hartley’s palms within two minutes before the Lewes goalkeeper plunged to her left to keep out Annabel Blanchard’s close range header. Blanchard saw another shot saved and two dangerous Bailey-Gayle crosses flashed across goal as the one-way traffic continued.

Lewes introduced five substitutes in rapid succession in an attempt to turn the tide as Leicester’s intensity slightly dropped. The visitors however were unable to exert any sustained pressure with Kirstie Levell remaining untested in the Foxes goal.

Lewes remain fifth in the table, three points behind Leicester.

Cleverly said: "We are disappointed. But if you’d said at the start of the season we’d have a five-game unbeaten run and be disappointed to lose 1-0 at Leicester, we’d have taken that. Our game is based on not giving opponents many chances but we gave up an early goal today and weren’t able to put them under enough pressure.

"We had no problem with the playing surface. We train on a similar pitch and the fact it was narrow suited our game. We needed to put more pressure on them but it didn’t work out for us. Now we will look to put things right again against London Bees."

Lewes (4-4-2): Laura Hartley; Sammy Quayle, Rhian Cleverly, Ellie Hack, Sophie O’Rourke, Megan Mackey, Danni Lane, Filippa Savva, Simran Jhamat, Emily Donovan. Substitutes: Ellie Leek for Jhamat (66), Emma Jones for Donovan (66), Ellie Noble for Savva (66), Lucy Porter for Mackey (78), Charley Boswell for Rodd (78). Substitutes not used: Tatiana Saunders, Nicola Cousins, Paula Howells, Ella Newman.

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