Albion Women began their defence of the Sussex County Cup with a mammoth 14-0 victory away at Seahaven Harriers...
Manager, Jay Lovett named a much-changed starting XI and fielded a number of youngsters who acquitted themselves well against the South East Counties side.Liberty Pritchard looked calm and assured in the centre of midfield, while Paige Adams proved to be a constant threat down the left and Lucy Somes ended the match with a four-goal haul.
The Seagulls broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, when Catherine O’Hagan opened the floodgates after nodding home Kirsty Barton’s cross, before Chantelle Strudwick’s deflected strike and a close-range effort made it three inside 18 minutes.
Albion then stormed into an eight-nil lead before half-time; Kim Stenning capitalised on a through-ball to slot past keeper Kerri Forshaw just before the half-hour mark, then a minute later, Barton scored straight from a corner.
Somes slotted home her first followed by Adams’s great strike from the left. Pritchard then netted a penalty after Emma Hatt’s handball in the area ten minutes before the interval.
Service was resumed in the second-half, with O’Hagan coming in on the inside to make it nine, before Somes met Briony Parks’ cross to score Albion’s tenth goal.
Somes then headed in Barton’s cross to make it 11, before waltzing into the Harriers box to score a superb individual fourth goal. Second-half substitute, Lauren Cheshire also got in on the act, sliding the ball past Forshaw and then put in a delightful ball for O’Hagan to score her hat-trick to complete the rout.
The enormous gulf in class between the two sides was clear, but Harriers have to be commended for not letting their heads drop after the break. Lauren Smith made a couple of surging runs down the left and Katie Franks had two shots saved by Albion keeper Charlotte Sole.
But that was the extent of the home side’s opportunities, as Albion were allowed to dictate the pace of the game at will; with Barton effortlessly pulling the strings in midfield and Strudwick making countless runs down the right which Seahaven were unable to stop.
Lovett told Seagulls.co.uk, “I’m very happy, it was a good professional performance and it could have been a potential banana skin if we didn’t get things right. I’m very pleased with the way we played football, not just the scoreline.
“I’m most pleased about the cleansheet and the fact we didn’t become complacent, as that’s when you give sloppy passes and goals away.
“I’m also delighted with some of the younger players coming into the squad and they have definitely staked a claim to become more involved in the first team. On the whole, it was a great collective performance.”
Albion: Sole; Carter, James, Hinton (Page 45); Strudwick (Cheshire 75), Pritchard, Somes, Barton, Adams; O’Hagan, Stenning (Parks 45). Subs not used: Rabson, Agg.
Original article
Manager, Jay Lovett named a much-changed starting XI and fielded a number of youngsters who acquitted themselves well against the South East Counties side.Liberty Pritchard looked calm and assured in the centre of midfield, while Paige Adams proved to be a constant threat down the left and Lucy Somes ended the match with a four-goal haul.
The Seagulls broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, when Catherine O’Hagan opened the floodgates after nodding home Kirsty Barton’s cross, before Chantelle Strudwick’s deflected strike and a close-range effort made it three inside 18 minutes.
Albion then stormed into an eight-nil lead before half-time; Kim Stenning capitalised on a through-ball to slot past keeper Kerri Forshaw just before the half-hour mark, then a minute later, Barton scored straight from a corner.
Somes slotted home her first followed by Adams’s great strike from the left. Pritchard then netted a penalty after Emma Hatt’s handball in the area ten minutes before the interval.
Service was resumed in the second-half, with O’Hagan coming in on the inside to make it nine, before Somes met Briony Parks’ cross to score Albion’s tenth goal.
Somes then headed in Barton’s cross to make it 11, before waltzing into the Harriers box to score a superb individual fourth goal. Second-half substitute, Lauren Cheshire also got in on the act, sliding the ball past Forshaw and then put in a delightful ball for O’Hagan to score her hat-trick to complete the rout.
The enormous gulf in class between the two sides was clear, but Harriers have to be commended for not letting their heads drop after the break. Lauren Smith made a couple of surging runs down the left and Katie Franks had two shots saved by Albion keeper Charlotte Sole.
But that was the extent of the home side’s opportunities, as Albion were allowed to dictate the pace of the game at will; with Barton effortlessly pulling the strings in midfield and Strudwick making countless runs down the right which Seahaven were unable to stop.
Lovett told Seagulls.co.uk, “I’m very happy, it was a good professional performance and it could have been a potential banana skin if we didn’t get things right. I’m very pleased with the way we played football, not just the scoreline.
“I’m most pleased about the cleansheet and the fact we didn’t become complacent, as that’s when you give sloppy passes and goals away.
“I’m also delighted with some of the younger players coming into the squad and they have definitely staked a claim to become more involved in the first team. On the whole, it was a great collective performance.”
Albion: Sole; Carter, James, Hinton (Page 45); Strudwick (Cheshire 75), Pritchard, Somes, Barton, Adams; O’Hagan, Stenning (Parks 45). Subs not used: Rabson, Agg.
Original article