ALBION 6
Blackie '36
Barton '40, '86
Somes '46, '59 **
Boswell '49
WEST HAM UNITED 2
Sherwood '26
Bowers '31
Brighton & Hove Albion women progressed into the FA Cup third round, after recovering from two goals down to beat West Ham United in a thoroughly entertaining cup tie at Withdean.
The result extends Albion’s winning run to eight matches in all competitions but it was West Ham, managed by Julian Dicks, who started the match the brighter of the two teams.
Lily Mellors almost capitalised on a defensive mistake but Faye Baker made a good save to deny the midfielder inside the opening 10 minutes. Kelley Blanchflower then had a chance to break the deadlock, but the striker blazed her effort over the upright.
The Hammers continued their early pressure on the Albion goal with Baker having to be alert to tip away Sarah McCrea’s cross, before Charlotte Gurr cleared the ball off the line.
The Londoners made their early pressure count after 26 minutes when Emma Sherwood slotted Vicky Kinsman’s cross-field pass beyond Baker to give West Ham the lead.
The visitors could have doubled their advantage just moments later as Kinsman reacted quickly to a backpass from Jay Blackie, but this time Baker cleared the danger.
The Albion keeper was kept busy in the opening half-hour after making another save from Stacey Little’s volley, but could not prevent the Hammers from netting a second goal.
April Bowers drove into space outside the box and her looping strike from distance rose over Baker to put the Irons into a comfortable position.
The Seagulls managed to bring themselves back into the tie as skipper Blackie ended a superb passing move after some great link-up play involving Amy Green and Lucy Somes - with her strike cannoning off both posts before eventually beating Nikita Runnacles after 36 minutes.
Then five minutes before the interval, Kirsty Barton wiped out West Ham’s advantage with a left-footed strike which squirmed past Runnacles after the ball was played across by Charley Boswell.
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The comeback was complete just 36 seconds after the re-start when Boswell found Somes at the far post and the forward slid the ball home.Boswell went from provider to goalscorer just four minutes later after ending a superb intricate passing move involving Somes, Barton and Gibbons to give the Seagulls a two-goal cushion with another close-range finish.
James Marrs’s side really took control of the match from that stage and added a fifth goal through Somes after she coolly slotted the ball past Runnacles in a one-on-one situation.
The Seagulls could have made the victory even more emphatic in the final 20 minutes as Lauren Davis and Gibbons both went close, before the latter had a golden opportunity to net a sixth after capitalising on a horrible defensive mix-up but shot over the bar.
A sixth goal eventually came four minutes from time when Somes found Barton inside the box and slotted the ball past Runnacles to complete a memorable cup victory.
ALBION: Baker; Davis (D Cooper 72), C Cooper, Ashton-Jones, Gurr; Boswell, Barton, Blackie (Carlton 46), Green (Owen 87); Gibbons, Somes.
[h=3]ALBION V brentford
[/h]saturday 17th january, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]Albion v ipswich
[/h]WEDNESDAY 21ST JANUARY, kick-off 7:45pm
[h=3]Albion v arsenal
[/h]SunDAY 25TH januARY, kick-off 4pm
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