STEVE Robertson was keen to focus on the positives after his Swindon Town Ladies side suffered a sickening late 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace this afternoon.

Town have been unable to increase their points tally in FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division since claiming a sole win at home to Portsmouth back on September 11.

They looked on course to do that against Palace, only to be beaten by a scrappy winner deep into stoppage time at Barrington Park in Shrivenham when a low cross was not dealt with by the home defence, allowing a striker to tuck into the net and snatch the points.

Robertson’s side had suffered a crushing 4-0 reverse at home to Cardiff City just three days earlier and the Town chief preferred to praise his troops for their marked improvement on that previous performance rather than reflect on the disappointment of a late defeat.

“It was near enough the last kick of the game, so we were a bit unlucky,” said Robertson.

“I wouldn’t say I’m gutted because the performance was 10 times better than what it was on Thursday.

“That’s what it’s about this year, getting our performances in and hopefully we get our bit of luck eventually. That’s all we are waiting for now, that little rub of the green or someone to step up and start scoring some goals for us and we will be there.

“Off the back of Thursday I can’t complain too much but it’s not very nice to concede right at the end like that.

“The girls are obviously gutted to have conceded in the last minute but as far as their attitude is concerned, it was spot on.

“If anything, they are going to take more out of today than they did on Thursday. That was a bit of a poor show whereas today was a proper performance, we just didn’t quite get over the line at the end of the game.”

Palace headed west boasting an unbeaten league record so far this term and although Robertson conceded that the visitors were probably the better side, he took comfort from the fact Town were able to push an in-form opponent so close.

“We definitely kept them at bay for 90 minutes but it’s a case of doing it for 95 minutes now,” said Robertson.

“We snuffed out everything they threw at us, although they did have a few half-chances before that where they might have scored.

“We carried a little bit of a threat and I think we were definitely good enough for a point but that’s football at the end of the day. When you don’t have that little bit of luck, you don’t have it.”