After missing last season’s National Play-Offs through goal difference, Barnes Women’s new campaign got off to a bad start when they went down 2-1 at home on Saturday. The Lonsdale Road club may have been expecting a soft opening match against the newly promoted Isca, but after absorbing intense early pressure the Exeter club launched a fluid counter to take the lead through Kate Kaye.

Barnes scorned a string of good chances and hit the woodwork before drawing level in the second half from a short corner converted by Kym Schaen-Carter.

But with ten minutes remaining a lapse by a stretched Barnes defence was clinically punished by some incisive ISCA passing and Amy Sheehan netted.

Barnes skipper Sarah Cornwell refused to be downhearted: ‘I’m pleased with our overall possession and intricate passing, but we need to work on finding the right final ball, and we have to concentrate harder at the back because isolated defensive lapses cost us the game.’