Seike sinks Saints with second-half strikes

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Bruce Talbot

2025-10-19T16:00+01:00

Kiko Seike breaks the deadlock for Albion from close range. 📷 Paul Hazlewood

Albion kept their hopes of progressing from the group stages of the Subway League Cup alive after three second-half goals saw off Southampton at the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.

WSL2 high-fliers Southampton had frustrated Albion for more than an hour before substitute Kiko Seike scored from close range. Fran Kirby’s fine finish made it 2-0 shortly afterwards before Seike got her second in the dying seconds.

Albion moved level at the top of Group C on six points with West Ham but the Hammers do have a game in hand. The Seagulls host Charlton in their final group game on 12 November.

All smiles from Kiko Seike after she put Albion in front. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Dario Vidosic’s XI contained just four of the players who started last week’s WSL game against Arsenal, but both Rosa Kafaji and Michelle Agyemang – who were unavailable against the Gunners – played in a team captained by Kirby.

Well organised and compact, Southampton were tough to break down and while they offered little attacking threat they restricted Albion to only a couple of clear-cut chances in the first half.

Kafaji was picked out in space on the left-hand side of the six-yard box by Carla Camacho’s cross but steered a right-foot shot just wide.

Fran Kirby scores Albion's second goal. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Agyemang then showed her persistence and strength in shrugging off two challenges before unleashing a powerful right-foot shot which beat Saints’ keeper Fran Stenson but came back off the post.

Marit Auee skied her effort over early in the second half before Stenson superbly tipped over Marisa Olislagers’ powerful shot after a fine Albion move involving Kirby and Rachel McLauchlan.

There was a warning for Albion when Megan Collett failed to make sufficient contact on a corner to test Sophie Baggaley when she was in a great position.

On the hour Dario Vidosic shuffled his pack, switching to a back three and introducing Seike and Moeka Minami down the flanks and it quickly paid dividends with two goals in three minutes.

Carla Camacho breaks forward. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Seike struck just five minutes after coming on, lashing home from close range after the ball dropped to her six yards out.

Albion doubled their lead when Jorelyn Carabali spotted Kirby’s clever run between Southampton’s central defenders. The Colombian defender’s pass was perfectly weighted and Kirby did the rest, darting into space and instinctively firing low past Stenson into the far corner.

Marisa Olislagers wins a loose ball. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

A third goal came deep into stoppage time. Minami crossed from the left and Seike bundled it past Stenson from close range at the second attempt.

Vidosic gave Academy players Elliana Martin, who tested Stenson with a low shot, and Emilie Gay in the closing stages on an ultimately comfortable afternoon for Albion.

Albion: Baggaley, McLauchlan (Hayes 81), Auee, Carabali, Olislagers (Martin 81), Tsunoda, Kirby (Gay 87), Noordam, Camacho (Seike 63), Agyemang, Kafaji (Minami 63). Subs not used: Nnadozie, Rule, Symonds, Heron.