The continuing progress Watford Women have made under head coach Damon Lathrope was summed up as they ended rightfully disappointed to lose 3-2 away at London City Lionesses.
Newly promoted and being the exception in that they are still part-time, Watford were expected by many to struggle this season, and yet they should have left Princes Park in Dartford with a point at least.
London City made 14 new signings during the summer, many of them full internationals and players with extensive WSL experience.
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They are tipped to be among the contenders for promotion and also the title, yet at 3-2 up and at home they spent the last 20 minutes of this game clinging on to their lead as Watford pushed them back.
The Golden Girls played some delightful football at times, always looking to build through the thirds rather than go long, and their assuredness on the ball meant they were very comfortable in possession.
Their downfall was not being able to hold onto the lead given to them by Carly Johns, the striker signed from Oxford United who now has two goals in two games and will clearly score plenty more such is her threat in and around the box.
However, having deservedly gone in front Watford found themselves 2-1 down soon after and 3-1 behind early in the second half.
But Watford rallied and had the home team penned in their own half as the game wore on, and that was despite having seen striker Michelle Agyemang limp off before half time and being without the services of the injured Poppy Wilson, Annie Rossiter and skipper Megan Chandler.
Two of the other summer signings caught the eye. Harley Bennett is clearly a very good footballer, and the accomplished ball-playing defender was composed and cultured throughout coming up against her former side.
On the right, Dominican Republic international Lucia Leon was a constant threat. The wing back signed from Real Betis showed the sort of technical ability expected from a player who has not only played top-tier football in Spain, but also in England with Tottenham.
One of last season’s lynchpins, Dre Georgiou, gave her usual tireless, combative performance – her energy and versatility between the boxes kept things tight at one end and created chances at the other.
Watford will play worse than this and win games, and it’s testament to them that a defeat away to one of the top Championship sides is as disappointing as it was undeserved.
Agyemang showed pace and power to break down the right after five minutes, but her low cross was bundled away to safety by the London City defence.
Shortly after a good move saw Leon break into acres of space on the right and her cross just evaded the incoming Haines at the back post.
After a spell of pressure Watford so nearly broke through in the 13th minute. Johns threaded a ball through, Agyemang shot and Grace Moloney made a one-handed block before smothering the loose ball.
They got the breakthrough they deserved a minute later. Johns was again the instigator, her pass freeing up Agyemang for a shot that Moloney pushed away. However Abbie Lafayette picked up the loose ball and drove it past the keeper at her near post.
The goal prompted a very early London City substitution, Izzy Groves replacing Ruesha Littlejohn with a clear remit to try and stop Watford passing the ball around in their own half as they had in the opening quarter of an hour.
The Watford lead was short lived as Connie Scofield was played into the box on the right with a fine pass from Lois Joel, and she squeezed a shot between Olivia Clark and her near post.
That goal buoyed the home side, and they went 2-1 up after 24 minutes when Danielle Carter picked the ball up some way out, strode forward and beat Clark with a superb 20-yard strike.
Three minutes later Agyemang outpaced and outpowered the City defence, storming onto a long pass forward from Georgiou before unleashing a rasping drive which Moloney did well to stop.
The young forward, signed on a dual registration from Arsenal, was causing the home defence all sorts of problems so it was a blow when she stayed on the ground after forcing that save. Following treatment she played on but then limped off after 38 minutes.
Clark ensured Watford went into the interval only one behind when she made a fine block with her legs in the 41st minute after Groves slipped a ball into the box for Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah.
Four minutes after the restart Leon again got away down the right and her cross seemed destined for Johns before it was deflected out of the striker’s path.
The home side extended their lead in the 54th minute when Sophie McLean was dispossesed in midfield, the ball ran to Boye-Hlarkah who saw Clark was off her line and promptly sent an audacious 25-yard chip over the stranded keeper and into the net.
Two down away from home against one of the promotion favourites might have been enough to kill off many teams, but Lathrope’s side rallied and quickly made it 3-2.
It was a true striker’s finish from Johns - who opened her account on her debut last week – running onto a 57th-minute pass from Leon before steadying herself in the area and then drilling a right-foot shot across Hanlon and into the far corner.
The goal clearly galvanised Watford and took the home side by surprise, and it was the Hornets who had their tails up.
Just after an hour Johns had a shot blocked, substitute Bianca Baptiste saw her follow-up from eight yards saved by Hanlon’s legs and the keeper then recovered to drop on Coral Haines’ effort from 10 yards.
Georgiou then twice tried her luck from distance, her first dipping 25-yard effort grazing the bar on the way over before she picked up a half-cleared corner and sent a similar effort just over the top.
Baptiste’s power and persistence unsettled the London City defence and she had two shots from close range blocked in the final two minutes of normal time, with substitute Laila Herbert also seeing an effort hit a defender.
The home side had been deploying various tactics to try and run the clock down, picking up a number of yellow cards for doing so, and it was no surprise to see eight minutes of stoppage time signalled – and that extended to more than 10 with London City continuing to try and delay things.
In that extended period of overtime a cross from sub Flo Fyfe ran all the way to the back post where Hanlon bravely smothered at Baptiste’s feet.
Then, right at the death, Baptiste helped a throw into the path of Johns but the striker’s 16-yard shot whistled just wide.
Watford: Clark, Leon (Davison 71), Lafayette (Fyfe 55), McLean (Harbert 55), Johns, Agyemang (Baptiste 38), Bennett, Georgiou, Haines, Reid, Hanson. Subs: Dowsett, Davison, Head, Palisch
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