Despite a spirited second half rally the Reds Ladies went down 3-1 at Preston North End Ladies.
They couldn’t manage the win that they were looking for in their final weekend away fixture in the North West Women’s Regional Division One season.
Their last game will be played against Penrith Ladies AFC on Wednesday, April 20.
Preston have been in good form and were high on confidence having only been beaten twice since late December by the top two teams in the league.
This was evident in the way they set off against the Reds Ladies as they went ahead after seven minutes through a clinical finish from close range by Beth Wilson.
The home team’s pressure on the Reds defence continued and a penalty for hand ball was dispatched by Liv Askham two minutes later.
Undeterred by these setbacks the Reds Ladies built their own chances through passages of high quality football which saw the ball being passed efficiently throughout the team.
Sophie Birkett and Eleanor McDonald, down the right, were linking up well and between them providing crosses.
Good link-up play from the mid-field saw the ball being regularly played into the hard-working Caitlin Davis and Hayley Bracken.
Unfortunately it didn’t bring any change to the score-line and the home side still held their two goal advantage at half time which was fair reward for shading the first half.
The second half started evenly but it was the home team that found the back of the net first as Askham bagged her second after 56 minutes.
As the half grew the Ladies started to show some of the form that has served them well of late and the last 30 minutes of the game was definitely the away side’s strongest spell in the contest.
Solid build-up play down the left from Sydney Bragg and Hannah Geen saw the ball fed inside to Sophie Douglas on the edge of the penalty area but her well-struck shot was collected by the Preston keeper.
She was again called into action moments later when some intricate Reds play down the right found Hayley Bracken but through on goal her well-hit shot was blocked by the advancing shot stopper.
On 74th minute s Bracken wasn’t to be denied again. When the Reds were awarded a free kick 10 yards inside the Preston half Holly Redmond delivered a sublime ball in that found the head of Bracken and she despatched the ball into the top corner leaving the North End keeper helpless.
This spurred-on the visitors and they had the initiative as the home defence started to feel the pressure.
A second free kick from a similar position was awarded and Redmond again crossed another dangerous ball into the Preston box but this time it was defended well by the home team who cleared.
This was the last notable action from the game and the home side held their two-goal advantage to take the three points.
Central midfielder Sophie Douglas was awarded Player of the Game for the Reds Ladies in only her fourth start for the club.
The Reds stay in fifth position in the league with 33 points and have one game left.
They are guaranteed to finish in the top half of the table at the end of the season as well as collecting their highest points total in the North West Women’s Regional Division One league since joining in the 2014/2015 season.
