Crystal Palace leapfrog Lewes after 1-0 win at The Dripping Pan

Polly Doran’s close-range effort saw Crystal Palace edge out Lewes 1-0 as the first half of the FA Women’s Championship season drew to a close.

Doran’s scruffy strike arrived at the end of an entertaining first half after Lewes were unable to clear their lines.

Victory sees Palace leapfrog their opponents into sixth with nine games played and they are just six points off leaders London City Lionesses going into the Christmas break.

The best chance in an end-to-end start fell to Lewes, as Palace’s Fran Kitching (pictured above) made a brilliant double save to deny Emily Kraft on 12 minutes.

Palace were soon causing trouble at the other end and saw Paige Bailey-Gayle’s powerful effort turned behind for a corner.

She was through on goal again a short while later but could not quite muster enough power to beat the onrushing Sophie Whitehouse.

The chances kept coming for the visitors, with Coral Jade-Haines the next to go closest but her header fell agonisingly wide of the bottom corner.

The deadlock was finally broken on 39 minutes when Doran tapped home from close range in the aftermath of a goalmouth scramble.

Lewes were quicker out of the blocks after the restart and were only denied an equaliser after a fingertip save from Kitching, and she followed that up with a brilliant low stop.

Lewes pushed hard late on but Kitching stood firm, making one last stunning save in stoppage time as the visitors returned home with the points.

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