FA Women's Championship: Blackburn rediscover winning form to beat Lewes

After a quiet start it took until 20 minutes for the first shot of the match, Rovers’ Megan Hornby controlling well from a throw-in and hitting a snap-shot over the bar.

Lewes’ first chance fell to centre-half Nicola Cousins. A good old-fashioned goalmouth scramble ended with Cousins’ shot blocked by Rovers’ Helen Seed.

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And it was Lewes with the next big chance as well. Georgia Timms played a pin-point ball into the stride of Heidi Logan who controlled and forced Alex Brooks to save well with her legs.

Immediately after the break Blackburn struck. Natasha Fenton‘s free-kick landed at the feet of McDonald who steered her volley past Shanell Salgado.

Lewes nearly hit back but Ellie Hack could not direct her header goalwards and Rovers’ goal seemed to spark the team from the South Coast into action.

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Firstly Paula Howells fired a shot on target and then Amelia Hazard shot have done better than scuff her shot wide after Howell’s pull-back. Howells then drilled one wide and it looked like she was the key player if Lewes were to come back.

But the next big chance fell to Hornby. After a perfect pull-back from Millie Chandarana she skied her side-foot over the bar from six yards out.

But when Howells was forced off though injury and it was Rover’s Saffron Jordan who had a volley well saved and a shot cleared off the line before the home side took the points.

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Lewes’ Rhian Cleverly said: “It was frustrating and disappointing but credit to Blackburn, I think they had a good gameplan and they stuck to it. I think if we had put one of those chances away that we have created they have to change their gameplan then and the whole game changes. But it was a set-piece for them that they put in the back of the net and they then became even more solid.”

“We got more frustrated and stopped doing what we needed to do to break them down. So we learn a lot from it. I have no doubt that this team keeps bouncing back so I’m sure we will.”

“We’ve been great in training that makes it more frustrating. I feel that we didn’t take them for granted because we knew they would be up for it after a disappointing result last time out. We were the better team but that’s not football is it.”

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Lewes (4-1-4-1): 32. Shanell Salgado, 2. Ellie Mason, 5. Nicola Cousins, 6. Ellie Hack ©, 18. Rebecca McKenna; 23. Izzy Dalton, 27. Zoe Cross; 11. Heidi Logan, 4. Amelia Hazard, 14. Paula Howells, 9. Georgia Timms, Substitutes: 3. Rhian Cleverly for Cousins 62, 22. Josie Longhurst for Logan 62, 7. Lucy Ashworth-Clifford for Howells 78, 24. Lucy Porter for Cross 88, 10. Freda Ayisi for Dalton 88 Substitutes not used: 31. Laura Hartley, 8. Ellie Noble, 17. Lea Cordier, 20. Sophie O’Rourke,

Referee: James Bell

Attendance: 162