Albion hit four in first win of the season

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Dario Vidosic's side beat West Ham 4-1 at the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.

Heather Miller

2025-09-21T16:00+01:00

Fran kirby and Caitlin Hayes celebrate the opening goal over West Ham United. Photo: Kyle Hemsley

Albion returned to home turf on Sunday afternoon looking to bounce back from a tough start to the season and were able to do so with a performance full of energy, cohesion and attacking flair in a 4-1 victory against West Ham United.

Debut goals from Caitlin Hayes and Rosa Kafaji with further strikes by Kiko Seike and Marisa Olislagers helped Dario Vidosic’s squad put their first three points on the board.

A minute’s silence was held before kick-off at Broadfield Stadium following the tragic and sudden passing of former Liverpool manager Matt Beard. A respected figure in the women’s game, Matt’s loss will be deeply felt across the football community.

Albion gave a spirited performance. The hosts started brightly, immediately testing the West Ham defence with diving headers from Michelle Agyemang and Charlie Rule, but Kinga Szemik stood firm in goal.

That early pressure set the tone for Vidosic’s side, who dominated in the final third. The breakthrough came courtesy of Caitlin Hayes, who towered above the West Ham backline to meet a curling Fran Kirby corner and head home her first goal in blue and white.

With momentum building, Albion struck again. A clever free-kick routine saw Arsenal loanee Kafaji link up with Seike, weaving through the claret and amber shirts before the Japanese winger fired past Szemik to double the lead before the break.

The intensity remained high after the restart, but it was West Ham who found the net next. Following a collision between Chiamaka Nnadozie and Ffion Morgan in the box, the referee awarded a penalty which Viviane Asseyi converted to reduce the deficit.

Albion responded in style. After an impressive first half, Kafaji added a goal of her own - and potentially a goal-of-the-season contender - guiding a loose ball from just inside the box into the far corner with precision.

The hosts weren’t finished. With five minutes remaining, Olislagers capped off the performance with a stunning strike. Collecting the ball on the edge of the area, the versatile midfielder curled a superb effort over the keeper to seal Albion’s win in emphatic fashion.

Albion: Nnadozie, Minami, Kafaji (Camacho 69), Symonds (Noordam 69), Agyemang, Cankovic, Seike (Heron 90), Kirby (Auee 87), Hayes, Olislagers, Rule (Tsunoda 87). Unused subs: Baggaley, Carabali, Rayner.