Three goals in six second-half minutes saw us record our biggest ever win in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League as we blitzed Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Having scored exactly one goal in each of our previous nine home games at The Hive this season – losing just one of those when we exited the Women’s FA Cup to Leicester City last weekend – we ended that run in some style as Kyah Simon scored twice with Ashleigh Neville and Shelina Zadorsky also on target.
But while the goals flowed, it was a solid defensive display that laid the foundations for the win as Brighton – without a win in six going into this encounter – barely had a sight of goal throughout the 90 minutes.
Head Coach Rehanne Skinner made three changes to the side that lost in the semi-finals of the Continental Cup at Manchester City on Thursday, Neville, Rosella Ayane and Jess Naz making way for Asmita Ale, Angela Addison and Eveliina Summanen, the latter making her full debut following her January arrival.
We took the lead with the first effort on goal in the game after 12 minutes, Molly Bartrip picking out Simon’s run with a wonderful long ball from the back and the Australian international produced a nonchalant lob over Megan Walsh in the Brighton goal. We were in the ascendency for the majority of the first half and, after the impressive Summanen had cracked a 25-yard free-kick straight into the Brighton wall, we twice went close to adding to our tally. On 28 minutes, Summanen’s corner from the left was deep to the back post where Rachel Williams was waiting unmarked but her looping header bounced off the crossbar and four minutes later, Ria Percival slid a ball into the box which Summanen met on the stretch but it went just past the far post.
There was a brief scare when Zadorsky’s miskick went straight to Emma Koivisto just outside our area but she was closed down quickly and the danger passed, while at the other end, Angela Addison ran at the Brighton defence and tried her luck from distance but it was a comfortable save for Walsh. The Seagulls’ best chance of the first half came in stoppage time, but it was from our own Williams, who diverted her header goalwards from Maya Le Tissier’s cross into the box and Becky Spencer needed to be alert to keep it out.
With goals having been hard to come by at home, our second on 57 minutes was a huge moment in the game. Neville, who had only replaced Addison four minutes earlier, was put clean through by Percival’s fine pass and she advanced to the edge of the area before applying a composed finish past Walsh. Confidence was soaring with a two-goal cushion and we quickly added two more to put the game to bed. On 62 minutes, a free-kick into the box was headed back across goal by Williams, Summanen touched the ball goalwards and although Victoria Williams was there to keep it out, her clearance went straight to Zadorsky who smashed home from close range. And just 60 seconds later, Neville showed great desire to win the ball from Ellie Brazil in the inside right channel and then clipped a wonderfully teasing ball into the box which Simon side-footed home at the far post.
Late shouts for a penalty were waved away in the 89th minute after Neville’s through ball found Williams in the area and she went down while tussling with Le Tissier but nothing was given. Thankfully, it didn’t matter.
