Brentford Women lost 2-0 to Saltdean United Women at Gtech Community Stadium in front of 4,346 fans.

The Bees conceded a goal in each half as Saltdean closed the gap at the top of the London and South East Premier Division to three points.

Makeba Black had the first chance of the game on six minutes when Lucy Potter's whipped corner found the centre-half in the box but she misplaced her header.

Saltdean did have the ball in the back of Saskia Reeves-Priestley's net on 17 minutes after Potter gave the ball away and Danielle Lane converted, but the flag went up.

A minute later and Reeves-Priestley had an important save to make as Saltdean broke down the left, but the Bees' keeper smothered the ball away in the six-yard box at Megan Curran's feet.

Ashley Cheatley was lively leading the line for Carly Williams' side and on 22 minutes had her first glance at goal, firing first time on the spin from the edge of the box but striking just wide.

It was the Tigers who got the scoring underway on 25 minutes when Nikita Whinnett's excellent cross picked out Lane at the back post who nodded home to make it 1-0.

Club captain Maddie Phillips came on after the opening goal and made an important block to deny Saltdean a second on 32 minutes.

Alissa Down put in a terrific cross in injury time from a corner that had Megen Lynch worried, and Phillips had a stunning strike from 35-yards out destined for the top corner saved as the first half ended with the Bees narrowly behind.

Down's corners were brilliant all game and continued to cause trouble from the start of the second-half.

Chelsie Berry forged a great chance on 55 minutes when she chopped inside her full-back after good work from Cheatley and Becca Teale, but fired just over the bar.

On the hour mark Saltdean doubled the lead when Georgia Bridges found herself free at the back post to lift the ball over Reeves-Priestley.

Cheatley forced Lynch into a save on 69 minutes when she used her strength to get in between the Saltdean centre-halves and half-volley an effort on the swivel.

Whinnett almost added a third for the visitors, bending an effort just wide with 10 to play.

It wasn't to be Brentford's day as they couldn't find a way back into the game. The loss puts Saltdean three points behind the Bees at the top-of-the-table, with three games in hand.

Williams' side will look to bounce back from the defeat when they travel to Bromley Women on Sunday 1 March in a league cup semi-final (2pm kick-off).

Attendance: 4,346

Brentford: Reeves-Priestley, Teale, Potter, Black, McCrea, Down, Sangha, Worsley (McKenzie 60), Boabonay (Phillips 25), Cheatley (Louvrier 72), O'Brien (Berry 33)

Subs: Thorne Ford

Saltdean: Lynch, Barton, Sullivan, Boswell, Glass-Oliver, Linscer, Whinnett, Harris, Lane, Bridges, Curran

Subs: Young, Tibble, Robinson, McEvaddy, Zaynab

Carly Williams proud of her side's Gtech display despite result

Carly Williams said that she was proud of how far her side have come and described today's clash as a "great learning experience" despite the 2-0 loss to Saltdean at the Gtech.

"I don't think the girls could have left anything out on the pitch so I'm very proud of the group today," she said.

"We had a good start - I think if we got a goal in that first 10 minutes it would've been a completely different game but the ball didn't fall for us.

"They had two transitions that they took really well and we didn't create as much as we usually do, but overall I'm proud of how the group battled.

"The crowd were fantastic and meeting the fans at the end was really special. Our players, even though they were hurting, took time to inspire the next generation."