Norwich City Ladies went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Stevenage Ladies at Plantation Park.
With the game barely underway, Norwich's high tempo start nearly brought reward, as Chelsea Garrett went close with just four minutes played.
With pressure building, Norwich laid siege to the Stevenage goal and from Norwich's first corner, Aimee Durrant went close with an in-swinger, which was just cleared off the line.
With Stevenage pinned in their half, Garrett intercepted a ball struck into the Stevenage six-yard box ahead of goalkeeper, Shayla Burgess, but her effort agonisingly rebounded off the post after 23 minutes.
Stevenage, on a rare excursion to the Norwich goal, tried a strike from distance, but Eilish Brogan safely gathered.
At the other end Laura Thacker's curling ball just went wide of the top corner with keeper Burgess stranded.
It was more of the same in the second half as Norwich took the game to Stevenage.
However, gradually Stevenage came back into the contest and started slowing the tempo of the game down.
Norwich made their first substitution in the 55th minute with Kathryn Stanley replacing Vivian Moyo. Stevenage then brought on Emma Marshall for Rebecca Scola just before the hour mark.
The earlier tempo subsided and the game entered a scrappy phase with tired legs on both sides.
With the game looking like it was going to end in a stalemate, Stevenage's Nicole Emmings speculatively struck the ball from distance and Brogan was unable to reach it as it went in, just beneath her crossbar with only four minutes remaining.
Norwich went all out for an equaliser and came close twice but they were unable to find the goal.
Norwich will now have to regroup and go again on Sunday at home to Actonians Ladies.
Norwich: Brogan, Daviss, Ward (McDonald 86), Diston, Parker, Moerkerk, Durrant, Thacker, Garrett (Broad 74), Snelling, Moyo (Stanley 55). Subs not used: Turner
Referee: Paul Gibson
Attendance: 46
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