Some highly controversial refereeing decisions left Watford Women with nine players for the last half an hour of their 3-2 home defeat to Lewes, having also played a portion of the first half with two less on the pitch.

The game, which also survived a half-time pitch inspection due to the pitch at Grosvenor Vale being drenched by heavy rain, also saw Lewes keeper Emily Moore bring down the breaking Jessie Gale just outside the box but only receive a yellow card.

Watford did lead 1-0 in the first half, but playing much of the game with nine against 11 took its toll, and they now sit fourth in the table but four points behind third-placed Exeter City with only one game in hand.

Coral Haines saw two early shots saved before firing over from a Flo Fyfe cross before Poppy Wilson sent angled shot skidding across the face of goal.

The first intervention from the officials came midway through the first half when midfielder Dre Georgiou was shown a straight red card for dissent, and skipper Meg Chandler was shown a yellow – and sent to the sin-bin – in the aftermath.

The incident occurred when defender Anne Meiwald went down injured, the game wasn’t stopped and Lewes continued to play on.

Chandler returned to the pitch in the 36th minute, and Watford had already picked up another booking by then with Ellie Head receiving a yellow card for timewasting.

Despite all the upheaval, Watford went a goal up shortly before half-time.

Fyfe’s cross from the right ran all the way to the back of the box and, when Haines centred, Head nodded the ball down and into the net.

Having decided the pitch was fit to continue the game, the second half started and the visitors equalised when Paula Howells fired home.

Four minutes later and the referee was in the spotlight again, and Watford had very good reason to feel aggrieved.

Hale was sent clear through the centre and knocked the ball past the advancing Moore, who had come outside her penalty area.

The Lewes keeper tripped the striker, who was sent sprawling but the referee, who had a great view, decided to only show a yellow card.

In the 57th minute numerical advantage told as Olivia Carpenter swept the ball home to put Lewes 2-1 ahead.

Three minutes after that Watford had a corner, Annie Rossiter waited to take it but, after an exchange with the referee, was sent off and the Hornets were permanently down to nine with 30 minutes still to play.

Moore made saves to deny both Gale and Bianca Baptiste, before the latter shot wide from a corner, and then the Lewes keeper made a fine stop to deny Watford sub Madison Perry.

Three minutes from time the visitors seemed to have wrapped things up when substitute Kayla Ginger scored on her Lewes debut.

However, even with nine Watford tried to rally and Perry hammered a shot into the roof of the net after being played in on the left of the area.

It wasn’t enough, though, and the visitors went home with the points at the end of a very wet and controversial afternoon.

Watford: O’Sullivan; Filbey, Meiwald, Chandler, Rossiter, Georgiou, Wilson, Haines, Head (Perry 65), Fyfe (Baptiste 65), Gale (Hall 75). Subs: Goldsmid, Davison, Paul, Hind