Not having played a match for six weeks was a major factor as Watford Women were beaten 1-0 at Sheffield United.

A combination of the international break, postponements and a blank week due to the FA Cup meant Watford’s last competitive action was on February 4 against Birmingham City.

“It was always going to be tough with us not having played for six weeks, and yet I thought we started ok,” said assistant coach Matt Bevans.

“We asked for intensity from the off and we were perhaps a little sluggish, arriving a second too late and allowing them to get on top.

“At half-time we said we were looking for a positive reaction and some slight changes in the way we were doing things.

“We got that and in the second half we had chances to go and get the equaliser.

“I’m really proud of the team’s resilience and their determination to stay in the game when things were tough.

“We’re depleted the moment, both goalkeepers missing, a key striker and a defender missing, and we had four fit players on the bench.

“So for the players out there to stick at it and do what we asked is a credit to them. We’re stretched but I’m not going to use that as an excuse.

“But it’s a game of chances, and we talk to the girls all the time in training about that.

“You might only get one chance in a game and when that comes you’ve got to take it.

“We limited them and they limited us, but we’ve had two great chances to score.”

Bevans also felt a second-half challenge on striker Carly Johns should have seen Watford awarded a penalty.

“Yeah it was a stonewall penalty and that was disappointing,” he said.

“Whether we’d get that in a home game I don’t know, but it was disappointing not to get that decision.”

Bevans hopes to have defender Harley Bennett back for Sunday’s trip to Lewes, and is confident of bringing in a goalkeeper on loan as well.

Whatever happens in terms of player availability, Watford must get something out of the game in East Sussex – and a win would see them jump over Lewes and move off the bottom of the table.

“I’m happy to be honest about it – Sunday is a big game,” Bevans admitted.

“We need to go there and put on the second-half performance from tonight across the whole 90 minutes.

“We needed this game tonight. To go six weeks without a game is crazy.

“You can do as much as you like in training but there’s nothing like playing a game to get minutes into the legs.

“We’ll dust off after today and we’ll be ready for Sunday.”