Two late goals weren’t enough for City as Solihull Moors ran out 3-2 winners at Moorlands.
City started brightly and should’ve been ahead when a slick counter-attack ended with Toni McHamilton squaring the ball to Maddi Green, but the winger scuffed her effort wide.
Straight down the other end Moors nearly made the Imps pay, but Lana Timson produced a good save to deny Tiana Russell-Cartwright.
Jemima Footitt showed her quality down the right wing as she controlled the ball before jinking past two players and supplying McHamilton.
The forward shrugged off one challenge, but Lucy Bicknell in the Solihull net was out quickly to snuff out the danger.
Solihull then gathered some attacking momentum, and Timson had to be alert to deny Russell-Cartwright once again.
The lively visiting winger then struck the crossbar with a wayward cross.
Just as it looked like the half would finish goalless, Russell-Cartwright found space in the box to put a low finish into the bottom corner of Timson’s net.
After the break the Moors doubled their advantage as Ridhi Ruparelia’s long-range curling effort looped into the far corner.
In the 69th minute the visitors made it three as a defence-splitting ball from Cheyanne Jarvis found Marsha Malik, with the substitute taking it past Timson to finish into an empty net.
City kept fighting however and after an almighty goalmouth scramble, Chantelle Robinson managed to stab the ball into an empty net.
The Imps continued to push for a way back into the game and after beating two defenders on the edge of the box, Lucy Farrow found the bottom corner to give Lee Mitchell’s side hope.
Yet it proved to be a bridge too far for City, with Solihull ultimately claiming the points.