Brighton & Hove Albion women’s first-team manager Hope Powell reflected positively on the side’s 3-1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Continental Tyres Cup match on Sunday.
Albion acquitted themselves well against the reigning FA Women’s Super League champions, and Powell was pleased with her side's performance in their first competitive match of the season.
She said, “We tried to implement what we worked on in training; we worked hard and were disciplined in what we were trying to do.
“The girls kept going to the end and it was good to see us score against a very good Chelsea side.”
“It’s a good start for us and it gives us a bit of a marker compared to when we played against them last season.”
Powell also highlighted how the step up to full-time football has helped the players in the build-up to the match.
“We are much fitter now, which allowed us to keep going for 90 minutes and we could bring on players that changed the game.
“The girls were understandably disappointed afterwards, as nobody likes to lose no matter who you are playing against, but there are a lot of positives to take from it.”
Looking ahead to the next match this coming Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur in the second Continental Cup group stages game, the manager was quick to point out the fact that despite being in the division below, their opponents need to be respected.
“I wouldn’t look at the match and say it would be easier. We played Tottenham in FA WSL 2 and they’re a hard-working, gritty side, so we are going to have to make sure we are on our game to come away with something.”