Albion's players celebrate.
Image by: Paul Hazlewood
ALBION 3
Gibbons 14’, 53’
Gurr 45’WEST HAM UNITED 0
Brighton & Hove Albion women continued their impressive form with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over West Ham United at Culver Road.
Albion showed plenty of class and eased to a win against a strong Hammers side on a chilly afternoon in West Sussex, which kept them top of the Women’s Premier League Southern Division table.
The Seagulls have now won nine games in a row in all competitions, and are showing no signs of slowing down in the race to the league title.
The home side’s intentions were clear from the kick off, as wave after wave of Albion attacks were thrown the Hammers’ way.
Brighton made their early pressure count after a brilliant pass put Fliss Gibbons through on goal. The Albion striker kept calm under pressure from a West Ham defender and stroked the ball into the bottom corner to give the hosts the advantage after 14 minutes.
West Ham responded well though, and would have been level if not for an acrobatic save from Faye Baker. The Albion number one tipped a looping free kick onto the crossbar to preserve the Seagulls’ lead.
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The visitors grew into the game as the first half went on, but a second Albion goal on the stroke of half time deflated the Hammers. Lucy Somes netted the rebound after Charlotte Gurr’s shot was saved well by West Ham goalkeeper Nikki Duncan.Within ten minutes of the restart, Albion had tripled their advantage. Kirsty Barton brought the ball down and laid it off for Gibbons to smash a volley into the bottom corner.
The Londoners struggled to break through a defensive wall that has become a prominent feature of Albion since manager James Marrs arrived at the club. Any hint of a Hammers goal was snuffed out by an Albion back three of Deanna Cooper, Vicky Ashton-Jones and Catherine Cooper.
The Seagulls will now travel to Hertfordshire to play Women’s Super League Two side Watford in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday 1st February, before returning to Culver Road to face Charlton Athletic in the last eight of the Premier League Cup the following Sunday.
ALBION: Baker; D. Cooper, Ashton-Jones, C. Cooper; Boswell, Carlton, Green, Gibbons, Somes (Perry 66); Gurr (Owen 74), Barton (Blackie 54). SUB NOT USED: Taylor.
[h=3]ALBION V nottingham forest
[/h]SaturDAY 7Th febrUARY, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V birmingham
[/h]SATURDAY 21st FEBRUARY, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V leeds
[/h]TUesDAY 24Th FEBRUARY, KICK-OFF 7:45PM
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