Doncaster Belles v Birmingham City: Belles must go the distance - Coates

Belles, who host Birmingham City Ladies on Saturday (6.30pm), are still without a point to their name in FAWSL1.

Coates was focusing on the positives in the aftermath of Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but she accepts things need to change if her side are to climb off bottom spot.

“We kept the stats of the first half. It’s the most shots we’ve had on target, which I thought was a positive,” she said.

“They’re last year’s double champions, we’re newly promoted and we’re competing.

“The good news is we’re competing for longer periods of time, now we’ve got to sustain it for 90 minutes.”

Belles made it to half time at just 1-0 and could have had an equaliser in the 54th minute when Carla Humphrey shot straight at goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer.

Substitute Gemma Davison then helped put the game beyond the visitors as she got free and squared to Ji Son Yun for Chelsea’s second.

Eniola Aluko added a third, and her second, before Bethany England’s close range effort in the 89th minute.

“I was very pleased with the first 45, they’ve done exactly what we asked,” said Coates.

“We’ve come out second half and had a good opportunity early on. If that had gone, different game.”