Albion's players celebrate with the trophy.
Image by: Paul Hazlewood
-Goals from Jay Blackie and Amy Taylor secure a 2-0 victory.
-Albion win the competition for the third time in four years.
-James Marrs's first trophy as Albion manager.
-Lauren Cheshire and Kally Ambler had late chances for Chichester.
ALBION 2
Blackie '16
Taylor 58
CHICHESTER 0
Brighton & Hove Albion reclaimed the Sussex Challenge Cup following a 2-0 victory over Chichester City at Culver Road.
James Marrs collected his first trophy in charge of the side, avenging last year’s 3-0 defeat in front of 443 spectators packed inside the Sussex County FA Headquarters.
Albion created a couple of early opportunities in the game; Jay Blackie played in Charley Boswell with a through ball only to be denied by Chichester keeper Nia Piiroinen, before Charlotte Owen headed over the bar from a corner.
Blackie then broke the deadlock in emphatic fashion after firing a superb long-distance strike past Piiroinen after 16 minutes.
Chi did carry a threat going forward though as Emma Alexandre’s long free-kick into the box caused confusion in the Albion box, before Kally Ambler shot over the bar from distance.
The Seagulls rallied towards the end of the half in a bid to extend their lead, as Boswell found Kirsty Barton and then Charlotte Gurr inside the box, but the Chi defence cleared their lines.
Barton had the final chance in a fairly uneventful opening 45 minutes as Piiroinen nervously cleared away her long-distance strike.
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Marrs’s side started the second half brightly with Owen central to Albion’s attacking play; the diminutive forward had her close-range strike tipped away by Piiroinen after linking up well with Catherine Cooper.
The forward then turned provider after finding Blackie inside the area, but the Seagulls captain shot over the bar.Albion then doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when Gurr’s corner led to a scramble inside the six-yard box and Amy Taylor bundled the ball home.
Marrs made a triple substitution shortly after Albion’s second goal, as Owen, Lucy Somes and Barton were replaced by Deanna Cooper, Fliss Gibbons and Amy Green.
Two of the substitutes created Albion’s next opening the game, after Cooper and Gibbons set up Gurr inside the box, but Piiroinen made a comfortable save.
Ambler continued to be Chichester’s liveliest player going forward and had a golden chance to level the scores after being played through one-on-one with Baker, but she miscontrolled the ball and Baker cleared the danger.
Baker was then called into action again moments later after tipping Rachel Waller’s looping cross narrowly past her right-hand post.
Former Seagull Lauren Cheshire had a chance to halve the deficit after making a driving run down the right flank but her cross failed to find a yellow shirt.
Ambler then caused a nervous moment for the Albion defence after almost intercepting Baker inside the area, but the Seagulls held on to win the trophy for a third time in four years,
ALBION: Baker; Cooper, Taylor, Ashton-Jones, Carlton; Boswell, Barton (Green 63), Blackie; Gurr, Owen (Gibbons 63), Somes (D Cooper 63).
[h=3]ALBION V WOLVES
[/h]SATURDAY 14TH MARCH, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V NORWICH
[/h]FRIDAY 3RD APRIL, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V BOURNEMOUTH
[/h]FRIDAY 10TH APRIL, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
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