Lucy Somes
Image by: Geoff Penn
PUBLISHED
16:45 7th September 2014
by James Hilsum
Brighton & Hove Albion women experienced defeat for the first time this season despite a dominant performance against Portsmouth at Culver Road.Sophie Perry was named in the starting line-up for James Marrs’s side after re-joining from Millwall Lionesses and took the place of the injured Deanna Cooper.
Albion created a chance within the opening minute as Amy Green’s shot produced a save from Sadie Blakely.
Green was also in the thick of the action moments later, as she headed narrowly over the target after some good link-up play between Charley Boswell and Yasmin Poole on the edge of the box.
The hosts drove forward in numbers once again, and Charlotte Owen ended another free-flowing Seagulls move with a powerful strike which Blakely did well to save.
Lucy Somes then had a golden chance to break the deadlock after taking advantage of a sloppy backpass but fired wide of Blakely’s goal from a tight angle inside the box.
Green continued to put in a fine display at the heart of Albion’s midfield and she saw a shot hit the top of the crossbar after cutting inside on the edge of the box.
Pompey still carried a threat on the counter-attack and Charley Wilson saw her looping drive rise over the crossbar.
Nadine Bazan then broke the deadlock with a close-range strike eight minutes before the interval in what was the visitors’ first clear-cut opportunity of the match.
The Seagulls then began to step up a gear in search of an elusive equaliser, as Green played in Barton, but Blakely made herself big to deny the midfielder.
Green had another chance seconds later after being played through by Owen and this time it was the trailing right foot of Blakely that maintained Pompey’s slender advantage.
Albion's south coast rivals still demonstrated their threat on the counter-attack, and Albion keeper Faye Baker made a superb save to deny Wilson at the near post.
Somes continued to put in a tireless display going forward and was halted by some alert goalkeeping from Blakely before Owen fired the follow-up over the upright.
But just a couple of minutes later the blue-and-white-stripes were dealt a killer blow when Gemma Hillier raced one-on-one with Baker and coolly slotted home to double Pompey’s advantage.
The visitors could have made the scoreline even more emphatic as Baker made another fine stop to deny Wilson in the closing stages.
-
- BAKER
- boswell
- gibbons
- blackie
- young
- perry
- 75'
poole
- green
- *somes
- owen
- 75'
barton
-
- '75
dimond
- COOPER
- '75
HODGSON
-
- blakely
- Taylor
- bazan
'37
'73
- SIEVWRIGHT
'59
- RUTHERFORD
- goodalL
- BLOOMFIELD
'75
- CLARK
- hiLLIER
'72
- WILSON
- QUINN
-
- FRAMPTON*
- CURRIE
'73
- DARK
'75
- KEMPSON
'59
*Refresh page to updateWatch live coverage of Brighton & Hove Albion women v Portsmouth below
[h=3]ALBION V blackpool
[/h] saturday 20TH SepTember, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V cardiff
[/h] tuesDAY 30th september, KICK-OFF 7:45PM
[h=3]Albion v middlesbrough
[/h] saturDAY 18TH october, kick-off 3pm
Original article