Preston North End Women suffered their first league defeat since the 1st December at the hands of Sporting Club Albion Ladies on Sunday afternoon.
Goals from Kayleigh Griffiths, Robyn James and Leah Rawle sunk PNE to their second consecutive defeat after losing 1-0 at Gillingham last weekend in the FA Cup.
The game had a very slow tempo to start with, the majority of the action being in midfield, with neither team creating any goal scoring opportunities.
The first chance of the game fell to Sporting Albion though, as they found themselves one on one with Danielle Brown.
However James went for a spectacular chip from outside the box and Brown caught it with ease.
James was involved in the opening goal of the game nine minutes later as she picked out Griffiths at the back post to head home unmarked from close range.
PNE responded to the goal well and created a chance within seconds of kick-off, but Sophie Jones saw her shot palmed out for a corner by goalkeeper Rebecca Thomas.
Following the flurry of chances, the game quietened down for a short period of time, until Katie Anderton tested Thomas from long range with a free kick.
A minute later Sporting Albion extended their lead to two goals when James fired in from the edge of the box leaving Brown with no chance.
Manager Mark Read made a change at half-time, introducing Rebecca Foster to the game in place of Jones, but it was Sporting Albion who started brightest.
They moved the score line to 3-0 after a deep cross wasn’t fully cleared and the ball fell kindly to Rawle, who smashed it into the top corner.
PNE had numerous chances to get a goal back late on, but Anderton and substitute Holly Rawcliffe had efforts cleared off the line, before Carly Bayley saw her effort saved almost on the line by Thomas.
The result means that PNE have lost consecutive games for the first time since September and will have to regroup ahead of Friday’s County Cup Final against Blackburn Rovers Ladies at Leyland.
PNE: Brown, Taberner (c), Bayley, Charlesworth (Forshaw 77), Stanfield, Jones (Foster 45), Forster, Anderton, Ball (Rawcliffe 77), Savage, Grocott