- Kirsty Barton gave Albion the lead
- Deanna Cooper scored a superb second
- Albion remain unbeaten this season
- The Seagulls have yet to concede a goal so far this campaign
Barton '7
D Cooper '46
QPR0Brighton & Hove Albion women continued their unbeaten start to the season after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Culver Road.
It was Albion's first game back at the Sussex County FA Headquarters and a Juliette Denny own goal and a Deanna Cooper strike were enough to claim all three points.
The Seagulls created their first chance when Amy Taylor's close range strike forced a strong two-handed stop from QPR keeper Joanne Ayre inside the opening three minutes.
James Marrs's side broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, after Sophie Perry broke down the left flank and Kirsty Barton's shot took a deflection before hitting the back of the net.
Perry was involved in the thick of the action again when her in-swinging cross was parried by Ayre into the path of Amy Taylor, but the QPR shot-stopper eventually cleared the danger.
Albion continued to dominate proceedings, as Perry tested Ayre with a strike, before Taylor fired the ball wide at the near post following a well-worked corner.
Perry had her best chance to double Brighton's advantage shortly before the interval after taking advantage of some sloppy QPR defending, but lost her balance just as she was about to pull the trigger.
The only chance of note for the visitors during the first half fell to Jo Wilson, but her curling free-kick hit the roof of the net.
Taylor had another opportunity to score a second goal, but could not make a connection with Perry's cross.
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But a second goal came within a minute of the restart in spectacular fashion thanks to Cooper. The centre-back took the ball from Charlotte Gurr straight from the kick-off and unleashed an unstoppable drive past a motionless Ayre to double Albion's lead.The Seagulls continued to press the QPR defence, as Barton saw her left-footed strike from distance curl past the post, before Taylor slid an effort wide of the post after being played through on goal by Jay Blackie.
Barton was next to come close for Brighton when she fired a shot over the crossbar after meeting Charlotte Gurr's ball across the box.
Cooper could have extended Albion's lead with ten minutes remaining when her driving free-kick from distance forced a late one-handed save by Ayre.
Natalie Richardson had QPR's only chance of note late in the second half with a close-range strike that was comfortably saved by Baker, as the Seagulls secured a comfortable win.
ALBION: Baker; C Cooper, D Cooper, Ashton-Jones, Perry; Leitch (Somes 46), Barton, Blackie, Rowe (Baker-Carroll 77); Gurr, Taylor.
[h=3]ALBION V HULL CITY*
[/h]SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V ROTHERHAM UNITED*
[/h]TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
[h=3]ALBION V CARDIFF CITY
[/h]SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
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