- Albion beat Birmingham City 2-1
- Kayleigh Green and Ellie Brazil on target for Albion
- Ellen White scores for Birmingham
- The Seagulls move nine points clear of the foot of the table
Brighton & Hove Albion secured their third league win of the season, as they recovered from a goal down to claim an impressive 2-1 victory over high-flying Birmingham City at the People’s Pension Stadium.
Ellen White gave the Blues the lead, but the Seagulls responded through Kayleigh Green’s first Albion goal and Ellie Brazil, who headed home against her former club.
Hope Powell made two changes to the side that drew with Bristol City ten days ago, with Brazil and Emily Simpkins replacing Chloe Peplow and Kirsty Barton in the starting line-up.
City had the first chance of the game when White headed wide from Lucy Staniforth’s corner, before Albion had an opportunity of their own - Green firing wide from a tight angle.
After a largely uneventful opening 25 minutes, Birmingham took the lead when England international White latched on to Staniforth’s chipped ball over the Albion defence and saw her shot squirm past Sophie Harris.
Their lead lasted just four minutes though, as Green headed in Fliss Gibbons's fine in-swinging cross.
Ini Umotong then came within inches of handing the Seagulls the lead after she worked her way into space, but saw her shot cannon off the crossbar.
The Nigeria international did have the ball in the back of the net moments later though, but her effort was ruled out for offside.
The tempo of the game really began to pick up and the visitors had a golden chance to re-take the lead when Staniforth’s header took a nick off Gibbons before hitting the post.
White then had a brilliant opportunity to score her second after reacting to Fern Whelan’s clearance, but she blazed her effort over the bar.
Charlie Wellings had the first chance of note after the break for the Blues, but shot straight at Harris after getting the better of Dani Buet in the box.
Albion looked to break on the counter-attack, with Brazil racing forward down the left flank, but she was thwarted by Aoife Mannion’s superb last-ditch challenge.
However, Brazil wasn’t to be denied as she rose highest in the box to meet Megan Connolly’s corner on 72 minutes.
There was still time for one final scare in stoppage time, as Claudia Walker’s shot was parried by Harris into the path of Chloe Arthur, but the Seagulls shot-stopper made another save.
Albion held on to secure a hard-fought win and move nine points clear of Yeovil Town at the foot of the table.
ALBION: Harris; Williams, F. Whelan, Buet, Gibbons; Brazil, Simpkins, Connolly; A. Whelan (Peplow 90+2), Umotong (Natkiel 68), Green (Nilden 87).
SUBS NOT USED: Hourihan (GK), Roe, Barton.