After holding runaway league leaders Manchester City to a draw last time out Aston Villa came into the contest as heavy favourites, yet it took a long time for them to get going against relegation strugglers Leicester City.
The half-time introduction of winger Ebony Salmon proved vital. The England international caused a headache for the Leicester defence, crucially diverting their attentions away from Hanson, before providing the assist for the winning goal.
Scotland winger Hanson had been kept quiet aside from hitting the side-netting on 36 minutes, but got just rewards for her persistence.
“I was really frustrated but in my head I was thinking ‘it’s coming Kirsty, it’s coming, you just have to keep going’,” she told BBC Two afterwards. “I took my chance and I’m happy that hard work pays off.”
Villa’s overall intensity shift after the break proved tough for the Foxes to handle. The 2-1 scoreline could easily have been three or four had Patten or Oriane Jean-Francois been more precise in their finishing.
But it is another step in the right direction after a horrid start to the new year.
Foxes boss Rick Passmoor will take positives away, particularly from their first-half performance where they were by far the better team.
He told BBC Two post-match: “We are not going to go away, we’re not turning our back in this challenge and this fight.”
They deservedly went into the break 1-0 up courtesy of Lehmann’s calm finish, however their lack of firepower came back to haunt them once again.
Seventeen matches into the campaign and still the Foxes are yet to score more than a single goal in a game. At this level that rarely proves enough.
Passmoor added: “The weight and the will is there, the togetherness is there, the culture is there. We just need to make sure technically we are making the right decisions at the right time.”
Nearest rivals West Ham remain in reach, but with six losses in their past seven games and just nine goals scored all season, survival still feels a very long shot for the Foxes.