Blues beaten at Brighton
Pompey Ladies’ hopes of defending their Premier League Southern Division crown are over following a 3-1 defeat at Brighton.
The hosts – who now have one hand on the title – broke the deadlock after just eight minutes, with Amy Taylor confidently slotting home.
And it was Taylor who then converted Kate Natkiel’s cross from the right to double the Seagulls’ advantage.
The Blues soon reduced the deficit, however, courtesy of a stunning 35-yard strike from Molly Clark that caught out keeper Faye Barker.
But they were dealt a blow just before the break when Charlotte Gurr tapped the ball over the line after Taylor had struck the post.
Pompey tried to force their way back into the contest in the second half, but their opponents still looked dangerous going forward.
Amelia Ritchie almost added a fourth for Brighton, but her shot cannoned back off the crossbar, while Sophie Perry also hit the woodwork late on.
Blues boss Perry Northeast said: “It’s disappointing, but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and accept that the opposition are better than us.
“It’s probably the first time I’ve said that in the past three years, but Brighton have been more consistent throughout the campaign and deserve the credit.
“They went away last summer and improved, now we have to look to do the same this year and work out how we can better them next season.
“We’re currently all feeling like it’s the end of the world, but we should put things in perspective – it’s only the second competitive game we’ve lost in 2016.
“Now we want to have a strong end to the season and finish as high up the table as we possibly can.”
Pompey: Beazley; Taylor, Rutherford, Sievwright, Bazan (Jeal 71); Bloomfield, Clark, Stephens (Kempson 46); Quinn, Hillier, Sherwood (George 59)
Sub not used: Benson