Albion suffered a fourth league defeat of the season at Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH 3
Hillier 43
Simmonds 45
Quinn 48ALBION 0
Albion women remain fifth in the league following a 3-0 defeat away at Portsmouth.
Goals from Gemma Hillier, Gemma Simmonds and Lucy Quinn mean John Donoghue’s side suffered a fourth league defeat of the season.
The Seagulls had a chance in the opening stages of the game, as Nadine Bazan slipped at a vital moment to present an opportunity to Rebecca Merritt who fired wide.
But Pompey soon grew into the game as Simmonds fired straight at Wayne after a well-worked passing move before Sarah Kempson then tried her luck from distance for the hosts, only to see her effort blocked by Cally Beaumont from inside the box.
Albion still carried a threat on the counter-attack; as Paula Howells surged forward and saw her speculative effort saved by keeper Sadie Blakely while Charlotte Owen fired narrowly over the crossbar with another shot from distance.
Beaumont was then forced off injured after clashing with Seagulls keeper Toni-Anne Wayne, as the two players denied Lucy Quinn a shot on goal.
The hosts managed to break the deadlock two minutes from the break; as Quinn’s corner found its way to Gemma Hillier, who fired past her effort through a crowded penalty area to give Pompey the lead.
It got worse for Albion right on half-time when Quinn’s cross found Simmonds at the far post with the latter firing home a header at the near post.
Pompey struck again within minutes of the restart as some neat footwork from Quinn on the edge of the area resulted in clinical finish past Wayne.
Albion broke forward in an effort to reduce the deficit, when Owen found Howells in space only for the latter to shoot straight at Blakely while Rebecca Merritt then had a glimpse of goal and saw her shot from the edge of the area go just past the near post.
Donoghue’s side also produced a few chances from set-pieces, with Charlotte Young heading wide from Kirsty Barton’s free-kick and Young then set up a chance for Tammy Waine inside the box, but her effort did not trouble Blakely.
Substitute Kim Whitcombe then almost broke through one-on-one with the Pompey shot-stopper, but Lysette Russell made a crucial interception as Portsmouth secured the three points.
Albion: Wayne (GK); Poole, Beaumont (Carter 28), Capon; Barton (Green 55) , Young, Howells (Whitcombe 72); Owen, Somes, Waine, Merrit. Subs not used: Simmonds (GK).
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