The Northampton Town Football and Education Programme Women’s squad lost 2-1 at home to Barking Abbey in the National Football Youth League South Premier Women on Wednesday afternoon.
The Cobblers were in the ascendency in the first half, Alex Dicks and Mia Richards both having shots across goal saved.
The pair linked-up to create another chance when Richards played the ball out wide to Dicks whose cross was a yard too high for Kitty Crouch at the far post.
Barking Abbey took the lead against the run of play five minutes before the break as a winger drove into box and placed home.
The hosts threatened once again on the stroke of half-time, Richards cutting inside and having a low effort denied by the ‘keeper at the near post.
A defensive mix-up gifted the Cobblers an equaliser early in the second period, Crouch intercepting a loose pass and rolling the ball into the empty net.
The hosts came inches from turning the game on its head going into the final quarter-of-an-hour when Cassidy Flynn’s floated corner was flicked-on by Laila Channell and Dicks’ close-range stab was cleared off the line.
However, an attacker ran in behind and poked the ball past the onrushing Iona Smith to steal a late win for the away side.
Cobblers: Iona Smith, Laila Channell, Maddie Carter, Ruby Heselden, Cassidy Flynn, Georgia Gale, Mia Richards, Afrika de Villiers, Keeley Jackson, Alex Dicks, Kitty Crouch
Substitutes: Mia Paradise, Lauren Hewitt, Ellie Barker, Ruby Oxley, Phoebe Preston