Lincoln City Women fell to a 2-1 defeat at home against promotion-chasing Sporting Khalsa on Sunday afternoon.
However, it was a much improved performance from the Imps after last week’s Lincolnshire County Cup semi-final defeat against Lincoln United.
The first-half saw a highly-competitive game, with City able to match their opponents, who sat in third place at the time of kick-off.
The Imps had to ride their luck at times, with only a Chyna McIntosh clearance off the line stopping the visitors from taking the lead after 15 minutes.
It would be the hosts who took the lead with a fine team goal on 28 minutes. Forward Lauren Nicholson, who was making her first start for the side delivered a perfectly-weighted cross from the right to find the run of Maddi Green at the back post, who simply could not miss.
Lincoln manager Lee Mitchell was delighted with the team goal. He said: “I don’t celebrate goals that much, but the way the goal came about and then Maddi scoring a header like she did, it was a superb team goal and a fantastic play.”
Khalsa thought they had replied instantly as two minutes later, they had the ball in the back of the net, but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside as the Imps took the lead heading into half-time.
Mitchell was delighted with his side’s first half display which saw them have a deserved lead.
He said: “Some of the passing and moving we did in that first half was superb. Even in the second half, we were trying to do the right thing, and we would get that bobble. But I don’t mind it when you’re trying to do the right thing.”
The second-half saw an improved showing from the visitors, who were able to get on top of the game.
Sporting Khalsa found an equaliser through substitute Stubbs, who nicely placed a shot in the bottom corner from the right-wing.
It was the visitors who would take all three points from Moorlands, as a wicked deflected effort from Anla Denham took the ball past goalkeeper Timson and into the back of the net with 15 minutes to play.
Despite the result, Lee Mitchell was pleased with the performance showed. He said: “It was fine margins today. The fight we showed in the first half and the way we played was great.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the fixtures this season, the performance on Sunday has now set a benchmark for the level required to wing games.
Mithcell said: “The way we finished at the end and the fight we showed, we just need to bring that every week, because there are more positives than negatives. That’s the team that we used to see and the team that turned up last week if we had done that last week, we would have been fine.”
Striker Lauren Nicholson made her first start for the Imps’ first team on Sunday, and Mitchell was pleased with what he saw.
He said: “She surprised us in a good way. We see her in training, so we know what she is capable of. She’s not played this standard so we were worried about the heavy pitch, the intensity required against a team like this how long she would last, but she gave us everything which is all we can ask for.
“She played a key part to set up the goal for Maddi. It’s again an Under 23 that’s come into the first team, fought hard, bided her time and it’s going to take some beating to get her out of there. I was happy for her and her performance,” the Imps boss added.
Lincoln City Women host Sutton Coldfield on Sunday, as they seek a return to winning ways.
Feature Image Credit: Lincoln City FC/Graham Burrell