London City Lionesses’ head coach Lisa Fallon has stepped down from her role for family reasons.

She found splitting her time between her family in Dublin and working in London was unmanagable.

Assistant coach Melissa Phillips will take over with immediate effect, meaning the club’s Continental League Cup 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday was Fallon’s last game in charge.

She said: “With my family based in Dublin, and the team based in London, the logistics of travelling to meet the needs of both – whilst in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic – are no longer viable.

 “I am extremely grateful to our chairwoman, Diane Culligan, and the board, for their compassion over the past few weeks. 

“Having worked closely with Melissa Phillips over the past few months, I know she is a talented coach and brings great experience to the club. With all the expertise and dedication of the backroom staff, she will continue to develop this team in a very positive way and I’m excited to see the progressions.”

Lionesses’ next game will be against London Bees on Sunday.