The Valiants suffer defeat and are knocked out of the Women’s Challenge Cup.
Lichfield started the quicker from kick off after 40 seconds of play their attempted lob over Connie Watts went over the bar.
The Valiants struggled for the opening seven minutes to get out of their own half because of the relentless Lichfield press giving possession away on several occasions.
A corner, in the 8th minute, had the Vale bench claiming for a penalty after Mollie Prime’s in-swinger, but they were waved away by the referee.
Watts was called into action two minutes later as she was swiftly off her line to thwart a Lichfield through ball.
The Valiants almost found themselves a goal down two minutes later after the ball was flashed across the Vale six-yard box and fortunately no Lichfield player was there to meet it.
The first opportunity for the Valiants fell to Sophie Garratt in the 21st minute who tried her luck from 30 yards out, but it was straight at the keeper.
In the 29th minute, the front duo of Elissa Dockerty and Olivia Grocott linked up well as Grocott lifted the ball over to Dockerty through on goal but her first touch got away from her going out for a goal kick.
Lichfield almost found the opener at the end of the first half when an in-swinging free kick found the head of a Lichfield player who headed just over the bar.
Early in the second half, the Vale were nearly rewarded when Sian McHugh’s through ball had Lichfield players scrambling unable to clear it and Macy Isherwood latched onto the mistake squaring it to Dockerty who was unable to convert as the keeper was able to palm the ball behind for a corner.
It was heroic defending at times from the Valiants in the first half, but it was undone, in the 49th minute, as Lichfield’s cross from the right was found by another Lichfield player and was steered into the bottom left-hand corner.
The lead was doubled a minute later as down the same flank the Lichfield right wing-back got to the byline, cut in on their left inside the box, and slotted it passed Watts.
The Valiants struggled to beat the Lichfield press at times and get out their own half and Lichfield’s third came about in the 60th minute as a cross from the left was stabbed into the Vale goal.
The opportunity for Vale to get one back came in the 68th minute when Macy Isherwood drove into the box and almost had the finish at the end of it with her effort coming off the bar.
Unfortunately, the Valiants conceded four minutes later down the right-hand side as a low-driven cross wasn’t dealt with by the Vale defence and Lichfield’s winger managed to meet the ball for a tap in.
Lichfield got their fifth in the 82nd minute as Jess Smith was pressured on the ball just outside the Vale box and Lichfield pounced to win the ball and set up their midfielder for a goal in the bottom left-hand corner.
It was trouble down the right flank again as the ball was cut back to a Lichfield player to blast the ball passed Watts, with the full-time whistle following shortly afterwards and the Valiants' unbeaten run came to an end against opposition one tier above them.
Port Vale | Connie Watts, Daisy Anderson-Wright (69’ Anna O’Leary), Jess Smith, Rosie Tomkinson (53’ Naomi Sale-Hancock), Cassie Davies (74’ Olivia Grocott), Sian McHugh, Sophie Garratt, Mollie Prime (89’ Rosie Tomkinson), Elissa Dockerty, Tara Harrison (60’ Lucy Moss), Olivia Grocott (46’ Macy Isherwood).