Brighton & Hove Albion women maintained their 100 per cent record with an impressive victory over Gillingham under the lights at the Sussex County FA headquarters at Culver Road.Kirsty Barton opened the scoring for James Marrs’s side before two goals in the space of three second-half minutes from Fliss Gibbons and Lucy Somes wrapped the game up for Albion.
The Seagulls were on the front foot straight from the kick-off, as Charley Boswell found Somes in space, but the young forward shot over the crossbar.
Albion continued to drive forward in the opening stages and were rewarded for their early pressure when Barton’s looping strike rose over Gills keeper Courtney Shanley to break the deadlock.
The Albion midfielder had a chance to double her account minutes later after Yasmin Poole’s cutback across the box, but her shot was saved by Shanley on this occasion.
It was one-way traffic for the remainder of the half, as the ever-threatening Boswell found Amy Green in space and the latter’s strike narrowly curled past the far post.
The midfielder had another opportunity to open account for the season, but her close-range strike produced a point blank save from Shanley.
The blue-and-white-stripes continued to surge forward after the break, as centre-back Deanna Cooper strode into the Gills half and fired just wide of the far post from just outside the box.
The scoreline became much more convincing for the hosts just past the hour mark, when Gibbons doubled Albion’s lead with a poacher’s finish from inside the area after being played through by Somes.
The lead was extended to three just a couple of minutes later, when Somes fired home from deep inside the box in her last action of the game before being replaced by Charlotte Owen.
Albion still had chances to make the scoreline even more emphatic, as Boswell picked out Owen inside the box, only for the substitute to see her strike saved before firing the rebound onto the post.
The visitors pulled a goal back through Natalie Crinean’s lob over Faye Baker 15 minutes from time, to give the Gills a slender hope of a comeback.
Ashlee Hincks almost scored a second for the Kent side, but her early strike forced a fine save from Baker to maintain Albion’s comfortable cushion.
The drama did not end there, as the visitors finished the game with ten players when Charlotte Long was shown a straight red card for throwing the ball at Orla Dimond in the aftermath of a challenge.
Original article
The Seagulls were on the front foot straight from the kick-off, as Charley Boswell found Somes in space, but the young forward shot over the crossbar.
Albion continued to drive forward in the opening stages and were rewarded for their early pressure when Barton’s looping strike rose over Gills keeper Courtney Shanley to break the deadlock.
The Albion midfielder had a chance to double her account minutes later after Yasmin Poole’s cutback across the box, but her shot was saved by Shanley on this occasion.
It was one-way traffic for the remainder of the half, as the ever-threatening Boswell found Amy Green in space and the latter’s strike narrowly curled past the far post.
The midfielder had another opportunity to open account for the season, but her close-range strike produced a point blank save from Shanley.
The blue-and-white-stripes continued to surge forward after the break, as centre-back Deanna Cooper strode into the Gills half and fired just wide of the far post from just outside the box.
The scoreline became much more convincing for the hosts just past the hour mark, when Gibbons doubled Albion’s lead with a poacher’s finish from inside the area after being played through by Somes.
The lead was extended to three just a couple of minutes later, when Somes fired home from deep inside the box in her last action of the game before being replaced by Charlotte Owen.
Albion still had chances to make the scoreline even more emphatic, as Boswell picked out Owen inside the box, only for the substitute to see her strike saved before firing the rebound onto the post.
The visitors pulled a goal back through Natalie Crinean’s lob over Faye Baker 15 minutes from time, to give the Gills a slender hope of a comeback.
Ashlee Hincks almost scored a second for the Kent side, but her early strike forced a fine save from Baker to maintain Albion’s comfortable cushion.
The drama did not end there, as the visitors finished the game with ten players when Charlotte Long was shown a straight red card for throwing the ball at Orla Dimond in the aftermath of a challenge.
Original article