WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Brentwood Town Ladies suffered a second successive defeat at the hands of Cambridge Women in Town's first league outing for two months, with the visitors eager to avenge their FA Women's Cup first-round reverse seven days previously.
In almost identical fashion to their last trip, Brentwood trailed 2-0 at half-time and had to make all the running after the break in a desperate attempt to steal a point.
The match may have taken a very different course had Kerry Stimson's third-minute effort not bounced off the woodwork, and Cambridge's opener in the 13th minute came marginally against the run of play.
Laura Baker's pass inside found Sophie Thompson and, despite Brentwood appealing for offside as she moved the ball on to Laura Bright, the forward made no mistake and slotted home confidently.
Three minutes later, ex-Watford custodian Layla Prior was called upon to smother Thompson's attempt beside the base of her right post and push away Faith Hewitt's drive round the opposite upright.
Stimson threatened again for Brentwood, travelling around Emma Jenkins before stabbing over from an acute angle, but Cambridge proved they were in the ascendancy when Baker and Bright combined in an intricate move in the 24th minute that required all of Prior's powers of anticipation.
All the hard work was undone two minutes later when one-time Chelmsford City player Brown made it 2-0.
Despite failing to end 2012 on a high, this Brentwood squad can be proud of their achievements in the calendar year.