AFC Wimbledon Women suffered only their second league defeat of the season on Sunday, losing out 2-0 to second place Norwich City.
The defeat means that the Canaries close the gap on the Dons, meaning the promotion race has been blown wide open.
The team in yellow and blue started the game on the front foot, with two great chances by Billie Brooks and Ashleigh Goddard, but neither could find the back of the net.
Instead, it was Norwich who took the lead with half an hour on the clock, after Natasha Snelling found herself on the end of a cross, poking it past the charging Faye Baker.
The Dons responded well, with midfielders Fran Ali, Emily Donovan and Nicola Gibson displaying not only some beautiful link-up play with the full-backs and wingers, but also breaking up any opposing attacks. But Norwich’s Snelling doubled the lead 10 minutes later in much the same way as the first goal.
Wimbledon dominated possession in the second-half, and with substitutes Daisy McLachlan, Lucy Porter and Sandra Soares Martins adding to the attacking threat. However the hosts defended well, cancelling out any space that the Dons found in the box.
A frustrated Wimbledon continued to push the hosts further and further towards their own goal, but any shots were well handled by Quantrill between the sticks. In the end the two-goal deficit proved to be too big a mountain to climb as our side missed out.
The Dons are back in action again on 7 January, with an away game as we take on QPR in a London derby.
PIC: Emily Topping