Kim Stenning celebrates with Charlotte Gurr.
Image by: Geoff Penn
ALBION 4Barton '34
Stenning '54
Natkiel '66
Gurr '77
GILLINGHAM 0
- Albion progress into the Premier League Cup second round
- Kirsty Barton, Kim Stenning and Kate Natkiel with the goals
- Amy Taylor hits the crossbar with an in-swinging cross
- Valentine Pursey makes her senior debut
*
Goals from Kirsty Barton, Kim Stenning, Kate Natkiel and Charlotte Gurr were enough to send the Seagulls into round two and extend Albion's unbeaten start to the season.
*
Both teams paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the Shoreham Airshow disaster as a minute silence was impeccably observed prior to kick-off, with the Albion team wearing black armbands.
*
Brighton took the game to the Gills in the early stages, as Sophie Perry found Jay Blackie inside the box, but the latter's shot did not trouble keeper Courtney Shanley.
Gurr was next to test the Gills defence with an in-swinging free-kick which found Deanna Cooper inside the box, but the defender headed an effort wide at the far post.
*
The visitors struggled to create many goalscoring opportunities in the first half, the best of which fell to Shannon Redhouse, who cut inside the Albion defence and saw her shot comfortably saved by Faye Baker.
*
Perry was a constant threat for the Seagulls down the left-hand side and she found Stenning inside the box, whose shot produced a fine save by Shanley.
*
James Marrs's side broke the deadlock in the 34th minute thanks to Barton. The midfielder fired home at the second attempt from a Gurr free-kick to give Albion a well-deserved lead.
*
Amy Taylor almost doubled Albion's advantage in first-half stoppage time with a cross from the right-hand side that cannoned off the crossbar before going behind.
LATEST NEWS FROM*SEAGULLS.CO.UK
- ALBION SIGN DUTCH U21 STAR
- SHOREHAM AIR CRASH DONATIONS
- REPORT: IPSWICH 2 ALBION 3
- REA JOINS SOUTHEND
- NEW DEAL FOR DUNK
Gillingham struggled to gain any sort of foothold in the game, as Fiona Constable's driving run was halted thanks to a superb last-ditch challenge by Vicky Ashton-Jones.
*
The Seagulls had a chance to score a second when Cooper shot over from Perry's cross, but a goal did come in the 54th minute courtesy of Stenning.
*
The Albion striker scored her first goal since returning to the club after slotting the ball from close range following Natkiel's cross.
*
Natkiel then got in on the act after 66 minutes to effectively end the game as a constest when she clinically fired home a loose ball on the edge of the box.
*
Just moments later, Natkiel and Annie Rolf were replaced by Phoebe Leitch and Valentine Pursey- the latter making her senior debut.
*
The visitors had few opportunities to net a consolation, the best of which fell to substitute Lydia Wills, who headed an out-swinging cross wide of the mark.
*
There was cause for concern for Marrs's side when Stenning was withdrawn from the game appearing to clutch her hamstring and was replaced by Danielle Rowe.
*
The Seagulls soon extended their advantage in the 76th minute, after Pursey's shot was tipped into the path of Gurr and the forward slotted the ball into an empty net on the rebound.
*
Pursey was inches away from scoring a goal on a first-team bow when her strike cannoned off the post and on this occasion, Gurr fired a follow-up shot over the bar.
*
ALBION: Baker; Taylor, D Cooper, Ashton-Jones, Perry; Blackie, Barton, Rolf (Pursey 67); Gurr, Stenning (Rowe 72), Natkiel (Leitch 67).
*
SUB NOT USED: Towers (GK).[h=3]ALBION V HULL CITY*
[/h]SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V ROTHERHAM UNITED*
[/h]SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
[h=3]ALBION V CARDIFF CITY
[/h]SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
Original article