Match Reports

Women Report: Albion 0 Chelsea 4

By Kieran Cleeves • 09 December 2018

  • Albion are beaten 4-0 by Chelsea
  • Bethany England (2), Magdalena Eriksson and So Yun Ji score for the Blues
  • Ellie Brazil hits the post for Hope Powell's team
  • The Seagulls play Yeovil Town away on Wednesday

Despite an encouraging display against Chelsea at the Broadfield Stadium, Brighton & Hove Albion were undone by four second-half goals to lose 4-0 in the FA Women’s Super League.

The Seagulls held their London opponents until the 65th minute, but strikes from Magdalena Eriksson, So Yun Ji and a brace from Bethany England sealed the points for the Blues.

It was almost a nightmare start of the Seagulls when Ji fired towards goal inside the opening minutes of the match, but Marie Hourihan excellently tipped the South Korean’s shot onto the crossbar and reacted quickly to gather the ball.

Albion grew into the game and created two chances of their own, both through Aileen Whelan, but the winger’s first effort was comfortably saved by Hedvig Lindahl, before her glancing header from Ini Umotong’s cross dropped wide.

Hope Powell’s side held their shape well but were almost undone by a Chelsea set-piece, when Karen Carney’s corner found Sophie Ingle at the back post and the midfielder’s half-volley crashed back off the crossbar.

Hourihan then made a simple stop to deny Ingle’s close-range effort, before Umotong raced in behind Chelsea’s defensive line and tested Lindahl with a firm strike at the goalkeeper’s near post.

Drew Spence headed wide from another Carney corner just before the break, and the Seagulls were able to keep the game on level terms after a disciplined first-half performance.

The teams returned and Hourihan was forced into action straight away, saving Erin Cuthbert’s low effort with her feet, before Whelan drilled a powerful shot into the hands of Lindahl up the other end.

Albion came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock just after the hour mark, when Whelan slipped a pass through for Ellie Brazil, but the forward’s firm shot cannoned back off the post.

No sooner had Albion almost put themselves ahead, they found themselves behind, and it was Eriksson who cleverly flicked on Carney’s free-kick delivery to find the back of the net.

It proved the start of an 11-minute onslaught from the Blues, as England headed home from Ji’s cross to the back post, before the South Korean also got her name on the scoresheet to make it 3-0.

There was still time for a fourth Chelsea goal in stoppage time, with England converting her second of the game from inside the box, as the Seagulls learned a harsh second-half lesson on home soil.

ALBION: Hourihan; Barton, Rafferty, Williams, Gibbons; Brazil (Buet 64), Green, Peplow (Brett 79), Le Tissier, A.Whelan; Umotong.

Subs not used: Gillett (GK), Perry, Legg, Simpkins, Natkiel.