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A predatory late strike from substitute Flo Fyfe helped London City Lionesses edge out a gutsy Blackburn Rovers side at Bamber Bridge on Sunday.
Fyfe pounced on a poor clearance from Rovers keeper Fran Stenson before firing home from 15 yards to secure her side a fourth win in five games.
Lionesses had the early chances. Freda Ayisi fired just wide following a mazy run, and Hannah Short fizzed an effort inches over the top.
The game burst into life midway through the first half when both sides scored within 30 seconds of one another.
Rovers struck first – somewhat against the run of play – when skipper Saffron Jordan smashed home from close range following Natasha Fenton's cross.
We levelled almost immediately as Ayisi netted from an angle after playing a perfectly-weighted one-two with Vanessa Susanna.
Nine minutes after her leveller, Ayisi almost struck again as a 25-yarder flew narrowly over.
Susanna then charged at the heart of the Rovers defence before seeing a shot well saved by Stenson.
Rovers' strike pair of Jordan and Lauren Thomas were combining well in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, both going close.
Blackburn sub Natasha Flint saw a pile-driver bravely blocked on its way to goal and also had a left-footed strike beaten away by Lionesses keeper Lucy Thomas.
However Fyfe's 80th-minute winner proved the difference between the two sides as she kept her cool and stroked the ball home from just inside the penalty area.
Match-winner Fyfe said: “We had to tough it out before we got the winning goal.
"There were times when we weren't keeping the ball well enough but we knew to keep pushing into the last 20 minutes and that's when we got the goal.
"I'm really happy because this was a really important win for us. We had a frustrating loss last weekend (against Sheffield United), so we definitely needed this win here.
"We've got Aston Villa next week, and again that's another really important game for us. This is a result we can definitely build on, though."
London City Lionesses: Thomas; Short, Sampson, Mason; Mackie, Wilson, Ayisi (Fyfe 57), Bennet, Fitzgerald (Clarke 71); Susanna (Balfour 88), Kemppi. Subs not used: Smith, Neville, Priest, Rossiter.