Brentford Women 1 Lewes 2: Kiszkis on target as Bees lose to Tier 3 outfit | OneFootball

Brentford Women fell to a 2-1 defeat against Tier 3 outfit Lewes on Sunday afternoon at Honeycroft.

After finding themselves down 2-0 early in the second half, Wiktoria Kiszkis pulled one back for the Bees, however the west Londoners couldn't find an equaliser late on.

Carly Williams’ side started the clash with energy and intensity, their aggressive press putting Lewes under pressure and allowing them to win the ball back on multiple occasions.

The visitors showed their class, too. Their first shot came on 10 minutes from the left side of the box but the ball crashed into the side netting.

The opener came through a moment of individual brilliance from Lewes. A well-placed cross from the right side was brought down near the edge of the box before being placed into the bottom-left corner to give the visitors the lead.

Ashley Cheatley looked to equalise on 18 minutes as she found herself in space near the edge of the box with the goal in her sights, but her effort sailed wide.

Brentford’s dynamic striker was at it again on 30 minutes as she pounced on a loose Lewes pass in their own half and looked to score, but her effort was over the bar.

Two minutes later, Maddie Phillips linked up with Rebecca Teale, playing the ball through the middle to the former Lewes player and receiving it back outside the box from a flick-on, but her shot was wide of the mark.

As the game approached half-time, it was Lewes who had the final chance on goal, their effort smashing against the bar before the danger was cleared.

The game continued to be played at a high intensity as the second half got under way, the west Londoners pressing into some dangerous areas in the early minutes.

Cheatley played a neat ball to Asees Sangha, who was stood in the middle of the box, the midfielder setting the ball for Kiszkis to launch at goal, but her effort was met by a well-timed block.

Despite the positive start to the half from Brentford, it was Lewes who doubled their lead on 50 minutes, a long-range strike clearing the trialist goalkeeper’s fingertips, hitting the bar and bouncing in.

Williams’ side were not deterred, however, as they pulled one back eight minutes later. A brilliant Cheatley run saw the striker push deep into Lewes’ box before cutting it back, Kiszkis trailing the play perfectly and finding herself with space to calmly slot the ball home.

Lewes responded and immediately looked to re-establish their two-goal lead as they launched a shot from outside the box, but the ball sailed across goal and out of play.

Brentford were close to equalising on 66 minutes, again through Kiszkis. New recruit Abbi Smith’s cross from deep in the right side of the box found the forward at the back post but bounced to an awkward height. Kiszkis managed to get a foot to it, but the ball was cleared off the line and out of the danger area for Lewes.

The intensity of the clash didn’t drop, but opportunities began to dry up for both sides across the second half of the second 45 minutes.

The Bees changed that inside the final two minutes, as back-to-back chances were kept out. Teale won the ball back on 89 minutes and immediately played to Kiszkis near the edge of the box. The latter turned and got a left-footed shot away, but her effort was straight at Lewes’ goalkeeper.

Chelsie Berry suffered the same fate as she ran onto a long ball that wasn’t cleared by Lewes, the winger’s shot on the half-volley inside the box safely secured by the visitors' keeper.

In stoppage-time, Lewes enjoyed a spell inside Brentford’s half and saw one final effort go over the top of the bar.

The Bees now turn their attention to Chatham Town at Bauvill Stadium next Sunday.

Brentford Women: Trialist, Cochrane (Louvrier 70), Cleverly (Potter HT), Black, Phillips, Sangha, Smith, Teale, Harris-Walters (Berry 70), Cheatley (Cochrane 81), Kizskis