A lacklustre Chelsea Ladies threw away a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Doncaster Rovers Belles at Imber Court on Sunday.

With champions Arsenal succumbing to a shock 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, the stage was set for the Blues to pile the pressure on the teams below them, but goals from ex-England star Vicky Exley and Sarah Owen netted the Yorkshire side a deserved victory.

After Chelsea fired themselves back in title contention last week with a superb 5-3 win at much-fancied Everton, boss Matt Beard was baffled by the loss.

“We just didn’t perform on the day,” he said. “You have the highs of last week and taking the plaudits for the performance - it’s frustrating,”

“But if we want to compete, we’ve got to beat teams like Donny Belles who will always be there or thereabouts.

“It’s a massive disappointment. Three points today would have given us a little bit more breathing space.”

Leanne Sanderson suggested that the hosts would carry on where they left off against the Merseysiders after she forced Rovers’ keeper Marie Hourihan into a first minute save and the ex-Watford stopper then did well to turn Casey Stoney’s close-range effort past the post.

Sanderson finally had the ball in the net on 18 minutes, only to be flagged offiside while the Belles only effort on target in a dull first half saw Exley shoot straight at Siobhan Chamberlain.

Chelsea should have grabbed the lead two minutes after the restart.

Dunia Susi sent Sanderson away with a pinpoint pass, but when Hourihan’s excellent save sent the ball spiralling into the air, Vicky Williams’ slip left Blues’ Becky Jane with the simplest of finishes, only for the youngster to side-foot wide of a gaping goal.

When Sanderson pulled another effort wide of the visitors’ goal on 51, the Belles struck.

The pacy Precious Hamilton burst through the Chelsea backline and when she cut the ball back to Exley, the midfielder showed the hosts how to finish with a superb strike into the top right hand corner.

For all of Chelsea’s subsequent possession, there was little sign of an equaliser and it was Doncaster’s Owen who should have added a second when she headed over Chelsea Weston’s far post free lick.

The Doncaster Belle waited just four minutes before making amends.

The Blues vulnerability at set-pieces has cost them dearly this campaign and when the Chelsea defence allowed a corner to bounce around the six-yard box, Owen thumped the ball home from the resulting scramble. Chamberlain made a stunning reflex stop shortly after to prevent the Belles inflicting greater damage on the home side and when Sara Kempson headed Danni Buet’s free kick wide, Chelsea’s chance of gaining any foothold in the match disappeared.

Susi had a chance to score a consolation late on, but summed up Chelsea’s day when she blasted the ball high and wide with the whole of Hourihan’s far post to aim at.

Chelsea: Chamberlain, Perry (Buet 61), Stoney, Davies, Hills, Susi, Sanderson, Kempson (Barton 77), Pond, Jane (Ling 69), Champ

Subs not used: Gibbs, Goodall