Report: Charlton Athletic 2-0 Bristol City.

City fell to a 2-0 defeat against league leaders Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

The Robins saw the better of the chances in the first-half but were eventually undone by a Katie Bradley penalty and a close-range finish from Gracie Pearse, seeing The Addicks extend their lead at the top of the Barclay's Women's Super League 2.

Charlotte Healy made one change to the side that beat Ipswich Town 7–0 the previous weekend, with Malaika Meena replacing Sille Struck.

Ella Powell also returned to the match day squad for the first time since September, having recovered from a hamstring injury sustained at Southampton.

Both sides started the game brightly in the capital, sharing even counts of possession yet failing to carve out any significant clear-cut chances.

However, City’s growing pressure within the opening ten minutes nearly produced the breakthrough.

Emily Syme burst into the box and was brought down under a challenge but strong City penalty appeals were quickly waved away.

City then came agonisingly close to finding the opener, Saez’s effort was pushed away by Sophie Whitehouse, and Rio Hardy then struck the woodwork from the resulting rebound.

Minutes later, Lexi Lloyd-Smith won the ball in Charlton's box, but her cushioned pull-back failed to find a teammate.

While it was goalless at half-time, City looked the more composed of the two sides.

Early in the second half however, the hosts were awarded a penalty after Marine Dafeur was judged to have fouled Karin Muya in the area.

Katie Bradley stepped up and slotted her penalty comfortably into the corner, beyond Fran Bentley.

Charlton doubled their lead soon after when Pearse reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and fired home from close range.

In response, Healy made a double change on the hour mark, introducing Harley Bennett and Esther Morgan in the place of Dafeur and Saez.

Vera Jones later replaced Maria Farrugia, before Olivia Johnson came on for Mari Ward however City's substitutions failed to help find a way back into the game.

The Robins, dominated possession in the closing stages but struggled to trouble Whitehouse, with Charlton holding firm to secure all three points.

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Starting XI: Bentley, Lawley, Ingle, Saez (Bennett 58’), Ward (Johnson 78’), Meena, Lloyd-Smith, Darfeur (Morgan 58’), Syme, Hardy, Farrugia (Jones 65’).

Substitutes not used: Williams, Mutch, Powell, O’Leary, Law.