OXFORD United Women were beaten 2-0 at home to Aston Villa in their final Women's Super League Division 2 match of the season, writes MATTHEW BRUCE.

The U’s matched their in-form opponents for more than an hour, but lost to second-half strikes from Maddy Cusack and Maisy Baker.

It was a disappointing way to finish what has been a difficult maiden campaign in the Women’s Super League.

United won just three of their 18 league matches but improved in the latter stages of the campaign, leaving manager Les Taylor satisfied.

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“Compared to where we started, when we were getting beaten heavily, the players’ individual and team performances greatly improved,” he said.

“We do need to get some new faces in, because we’re short of one or two.

“We need a matchwinner, because we haven’t got one of them, so the recruitment starts now.

“We’ll build on what we’ve got, because we do have some decent players, especially the young girls coming through, so that’s been heartening.

“We have lots to look forward to and we’d like to build on what we’ve done this season. The only way is up.”

United could have taken the lead in the first minute against Villa, when Katie Stanley just missed getting on the end of Lauren Allison’s cross.

But it was always the away side who looked more likely to score, with Emma Follis striking the bar with one ambitious second-half effort.

The breakthrough came in the 71st minute as Katie Wilkinson’s excellent pass put Cusack through to poke the ball past United goalkeeper Demi Lambourne.

The U’s, who had to play for a considerable amount of time with just ten players as Allison received treatment on an ankle injury, had no response.

Their hopes were finally dashed two minutes from time, when a free-kick found the unmarked Baker lurking at the back post.

Oxford United: Lambourne, Nichol, Osborne-Ricketts, King, Connor-Iommi (Chivers HT), Hines, Nutman, Allison, Simmonds (Low 64), Stanley, Franklin-Fraiture (Pickett 72). Subs not used: Marshall, Lane.

Attendance: 197.

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