Report: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Bristol City Women.

What Happened?

The Seagulls had the first opportunity of the game as the ball dropped invitingly for Gibbons in the City box, but the midfielder could only drag her shot wide of the upright under pressure Sargeant.

Harrison then broke the deadlock for the Robins as she picked the ball up on the edge of the area and rifled a shot on goal which flew past Harris in the Brighton net.

With City holding a one goal advantage both teams fought for a foothold in the game and the better chances fell to Brighton, firstly Simpkins’ header was blocked by Matthews before Baggaley then had to beat away Green’s effort to keep the hosts at bay.

As the half-time whistle loomed City were poised to pounce on any Brighton mistake and they did so in the forty-seventh minute, Humphrey picked up loose ball and picked out Salmon, who smashed the ball into the back of the net to double her side’s lead.

The start of the second-half saw the hosts come out of the blocks the quicker of the two sides with Natkiel being the first to test Sophie Baggaley, but the shot-topper was equal to her effort from distance.

Brighton then got back into the game when Green was brought down in the area and the referee pointed to the spot. The forward picked herself up and dispatched the penalty into the bottom corner of the net to halve to deficit. 

The home side pressed for an equaliser with the best chance falling to substitute Whelan, but she could only direct her header from Le Garrec’s in-swinging cross wide of the upright.

City Women held out for the remainder of the game and secured another three points in their FA Continental Cup campaign.

Teams:

Bristol City Women

Baggaley, Evans, Matthews, Humphrey, Salmon (Daniels 80'), Allen, Sargeant, Robinson (Wellings 58’), Wilson (Brown 66’), Harrison, Chance

Subs: Cumings, Van der Linden, Reilly

Brighton & Hove Albion

Harris, Barton, Kerkdijk, Le Tissier, Gibbons, Simpkins, Bowman, Le Garrec (Umotong 90'), Natkiel, Green, Brazil

Subs: Walsh, Lundorf, Williams, Hack, Bance, Whelan, Umotong

Key moment: Ebony Salmon

With Brighton pressing for an equaliser in the latter stages of the second half, Ebony Salmon struck against the run of play to double her side’s lead.

A loose pass at the back was picked up by Humphrey, who picked out Salmon in the box with the forward making no mistake in dispatching the ball past Harris in the Brighton net.

Clinical.