Albion Women fell to a narrow defeat against fourth-placed Liverpool Feds in their FA Women’s National League North encounter at the Valley Stadium on Sunday.
The visitors grabbed the three points thanks to goals either side of half-time by Paige Cole and Beth Donoghue.
Head coach Siobhan Hodgetts-Still made three changes from the side that were beaten by high-flying Nottingham Forest last weekend at Grange Park, as Lucy Newell, Taylor Reynolds and Delphi Cole all came in.
Albion started brightly and thought they had netted an early opener when Olivia Rabjohn converted Phoebe Warner’s pinpoint pass, only for the assistant referee to raise his flag.
Cole volleyed a Taylor Reynolds cross over soon after as the opportunity continued to arrive, with Fran Orthodoxou also skimming the crossbar via a testing free-kick.
Feds, though, began to create chances themselves - and were denied the breakthrough when Lucy Jones made a wonderful reaction save to tip over a fierce shot.
And, after Abi Lodyon forced Liverpool’s goalkeeper into a decent stop, the visitors did get their goal on the brink of the break, Paige Cole tapping home for a half-time lead.
Chances were few and far between in the second period, Simran Jhamat was on hand to try and finish a fast Baggies counter-attack, but her shot couldn’t test the ‘keeper.
As the minutes ticked on, it was substitute Steph Weston’s turn to try and open Albion’s account for the afternoon, her header from Warner’s corner went the wrong side of the post.
A goalmouth scramble from the following corner left Orthodoxou with an opportunity to grab what would’ve been the equaliser but she couldn’t evade the attention of the Feds' defence who made a brave block.
Despite their late pressure, Donoghue doubled the visitors’ advantage and put the scoreline beyond doubt as she finished a smooth counter-attack.
Albion Women are next in action on Sunday, January 21 against local rivals Wolves Women in the Birmingham County FA Senior Challenge Cup semi-final.
Albion: Jones, Brown, Green, Newell, Reynolds (Deasy 57’), Loydon (Evans 70’), Orthodoxou, Warner, Rabjohn, Jhamat, Cole (Weston 70’).
Substitutes: Miller, Crackle.