Defeat to Durham leaves Lewes looking for first Women’s Championship points

Sarah Wilson and Poppy Pritchard scored late on to fire the hosts to their first win of the season.

The hosts were the more forward-thinking of the sides in a first half that did not offer any clear-cut chances. Abby Holmes and Amy Andrews saw efforts blocked in the area, before Dee Bradley’s 25-yard free kick flew over the bar.

The visitors – who had never beaten their opponents in nine previous meetings – grew into the game as the half wore on, but lacked the ability to cut through a resolute home defence. Maria Farrugia - playing against her former club - almost changed that for the East Sussex side early in second half but found Naoisha McAloon in her way.

Jess Clarke headed over from a free kick for Durham, before a superb last-ditch challenge from Mollie Lambert denied Anna Grey an almost certain goal. And Wilson provided the sucker punch on 81 minutes – a corner was half cleared and the ball found its way out to the skipper, whose delivery looped over Sophie Whitehouse and into the far corner..

Lambert went close to making it two in stoppage time with a powerful strike from the right, which Whitehouse was equal to. But she could do nothing about Pritchard’s strike moments later which sealed the hosts’ first win of the season.

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Lewes' Caragh Hamilton said afterwards: "I really I don’t think either team did enough in terms of creating real quality chances [even] if you have chances here and there. All in all, a really even game and like you said, I think we really grew into the game.

"We didn’t do that last week and I feel like we did in the second half. We knew the start of the second half was crucial and I thought we came into it really strong.

“We were really solid and I mean, I don’t think it was probably intended the first goal but then at that point the game opens up because we’ve got to go for it then and then you’re a little bit more vulnerable at the back. That's the way it goes when you're chasing the game and then they get the second on the counter attack.

“A lot of teams come here [Durham] and they’re defeated before they come on. Credit to Durham, they try to make it a real fortress here, but we don’t fear anyone in this league and we certainly didn’t fear them coming here.”