Albion's players celebrate.
Image by: Geoff Penn
ALBION 6
Boswell 17
Gurr 31, 49
Natkiel 35, 90+2
Taylor '70CHICHESTER 0
- Albion progress to the Premier League Cup third round
- Charley Boswell, Charlotte Gurr (2), Kate Natkiel (2) and Amy Taylor on target
- Ellie Dorey comes on to make her home first-team debut
- The Seagulls keep back-to-back clean sheets
A brace each from Charlotte Gurr and Kate Natkiel, and goals from Charley Boswell, Kate Natkiel and Amy Taylor overcame a side that ply their trade one division below Albion in the women’s football pyramid.
The Seagulls faced a Chichester squad with a host of former Albion players, including two former captains, Kerrie Ryan and Tammy Waine.
Brighton created their first opening of the game when Deanna Cooper’s looping effort forced a save from Chichester keeper Sally Thompson.
Marrs’s side took the lead in fortuitous circumstances after Boswell reacted to a sloppy clearance by Thompson and fired the ball into an empty net in the 17th minute.
The Chichester keeper redeemed herself shortly afterwards when she made a good save to keep out Kim Stenning’s shot, before Albion pressed forward again and Kirsty Barton saw her effort cleared from inside the six-yard box.
The visitors created a couple of openings themselves; as Faye Baker made a fine interception to deny Jade Widdows inside the box and Laura Ingram headed just wide from Lucie Challen’s corner.
The Seagulls pressed forward in search of a second goal and Charlotte Young was next to test Thompson, but the Chichester keeper reacted well and produced a fine low save to keep out the shot.
Captain Jay Blackie came close to extending Albion’s advantage, but her free header went over the bar from Natkiel’s cross.
But a second goal came just shy of the half-hour mark as Natkiel’s superb run and cross set up a chance for Gurr, who swivelled inside the box and sent a low strike beyond Thompson.
Natkiel added her name to the scoresheet in the 35th minute, after she carved open the Chichester defence and clinically dispatched her shot beyond the outstretched Thompson.
Natkiel turned provider to set up a chance for Blackie in a one-v-one situation, but Thompson made a low save with her leg.
Natkiel and Blackie linked up well again, this time to create a chance for Gurr, who fired wide at the far post.
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Gurr scored her second and Albion's fourth in the 49th minute, as Thompson failed to deal with Cooper’s rising free-kick into the box and the forward slotted the ball home.The hosts almost scored from an identical position, but on this occasion Emily Baker’s header diverted over the bar.
Natkiel raced forward once again in a bid to add extra gloss to the scoreline, but Thompson kept out her shot.
Substitute Taylor did add a fifth goal with 20 minutes remaining, tapping the ball over the line from Gurr’s rising set-piece into the area.
Boswell almost completed her brace with a shot from the edge of the area, which Thompson prevented from crossing the line.
Taylor’s terrific strike rebounded off the crossbar and went straight into the shot-stopper’s hands, before Baker forced Thompson into a two-handed save.
There was still time for one last goal in stoppage time, as Natkiel’s corner went straight through the box and beat Thompson to make it 6-0.
*
ALBION: F Baker; E Baker, D Cooper (Perry 62), Ashton-Jones; Boswell, Barton, Blackie (c) (Dorey 62), Young, Gurr; Stenning (Taylor 62), Natkiel.
[h=3]ALBION V CHARLTON ATHLETIC*
[/h]SATURDAY 5TH DECEMBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V MIDDLESBROUGH*
[/h]SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER, KICK-OFF 12.30PM
[h=3]ALBION V IPSWICH TOWN**
[/h]TUESDAY 29TH DECEMBER, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
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