Oxford Utd 0

London Bees   3

(Loomes 26, Gaylor 72, Brooks 88)

Oxford United’s Women's Super League debut ended in disappointment as they lost to London Bees.

The U’s paid for not making the most of several good chances in the first half at Abingdon United’s Northcourt Road.

The visitors had fewer sights of goal, but were more clinical and took the points with goals from Lucy Loomes, Amber Gaylor and Billie Brooks.

U’s boss Les Taylor said: “We kept possession well and created loads of chances.

“All that was lacking was a goal.”

A decent crowd was on hand to watch the WSL 2 campaign opener and the hosts got away to a good start.

Katie Stanley stung the palms of Bees goalkeeper Sophie Harris early on.

Oxford Mail:

United’s Kayleigh Hines heads the ball away

Last season’s top scorer, Lauren Allison, was put through one-on-one, but was denied by the impressive Harris, while Helen King fired the follow-up into the side netting.

United conceded against the run of play on 26 minutes when Loomes’s quick feet carved out some space on the edge of the box and she smashed home a shot which caught out goalkeeper Demi Lambourne.

The hosts brushed off the setback and Allison had a shot cleared off the line by Samantha Chappell.

Holly Pickett also saw an effortgo just wide from Stephanie Mobbs’s cross to send the U’s in with optimism at the break.

The clear chances dried up after the restart, but the game was in the balance until Gaylor doubled the lead with a powerful shot 18 minutes from time.

Substitute Laura Low narrowly fired wide as United attempted a late comeback, before Brooks made the game safe with a long-range free-kick on 88 minutes.

HOW THEY LINED UP

Oxford Utd: Lambourne, Mobbs, Lane, Connor-Iommi, Chivers, Pinker, Hines, Stanley, King, Pickett (Low 68), Allison (Franklin-Fraiture 86). Subs not used: Cox, Nutman, Oliver.

London Bees: Harris, Chappell, Herson, Brooks, Lee, Hinchcliffe, Hurley, Wakefield (Lawrence 88), Nuttall, Loomes, Gaylor. Subs not used: Rowlands, Goss, Georgiou, Huggins.

Referee: Simon Maynard.

Attendance: 361.