- Albion draw 1-1 with Yeovil Town
- Victoria Williams gives Albion the lead
- Ellie Mason equalises for Yeovil
- The Seagulls are next in action away at Reading on 20th April
Brighton & Hove Albion were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Yeovil Town at the Avenue Stadium, despite a dominant display in Dorchester.
A Victoria Williams header put Albion in front, but Ellie Mason’s shot midway through the second half gave the hosts a share of the spoils.
Hope Powell made two changes to the side that beat Birmingham City last time out, with Chloe Peplow and Kate Natkiel replacing Ini Umotong and Emily Simpkins in the starting line-up.
Yeovil had the first chance of the game when Hannah Short played a deep free kick into the box and Mason saw her header go just past the post.
Albion then broke forward down the other end, as former Yeovil striker Kayleigh Green forced Megan Walsh into a save with an angled strike.
The lively start to the game continued, and this time Kate Natkiel was denied by Walsh after Aileen Whelan’s cross into the area.
The chances kept coming, as Megan Connolly’s free kick clipped the wall before going over the bar, before Green headed wide from the Republic of Ireland international’s resulting corner.
Whelan was next to come close for the Seagulls, when her diving header from a Fliss Gibbons cross went just over the bar.
Despite their early dominance, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Powell’s side, as Peplow was forced off injured and replaced by Emily Simpkins.
Albion’s pressure eventually paid off though and Williams headed the Seagulls in front from Connolly’s corner to break the deadlock in the 27th minute.
The hosts tested Sophie Harris in the Albion goal for the first time when Megan Alexander’s searching free kick made its way to the back post, but the Seagulls shot-stopper was on hand to push the effort behind.
Ellie Brazil had a chance to double the visitors’ advantage after being played through on goal, but her strike went straight into Walsh’s grasp.
The Seagulls could’ve scored a second within minutes of the re-start after some tireless running by Green set up a chance for Brazil, whose header went just past the far post.
The Wales international was involved in the thick of the action again moments later when she made a surging run down the left flank and found Natkiel in space, but the latter shot straight at Walsh.
Powell’s side were left to rue those missed chances, when Yeovil equalised through Mason in the 64th minute, as she fired home from Short’s free kick into the area.
Albion looked to quickly re-establish their lead, and Connolly tried her luck from a set-piece in a promising position, but Walsh caught her looping attempt.
Umotong was brought on with just under 20 minutes remaining, and the Nigeria international almost stole all three points late on after latching onto Gibbons's cut-back, but her shot hit the crossbar and the points were shared.
ALBION: Harris; Williams, Buet, F. Whelan, Gibbons; Natkiel, Peplow (Simpkins 27), Connolly, A. Whelan (Umotong 72); Green; Brazil.
SUBS NOT USED: Hourihan (GK), Roe, Barton, Le Tissier, Nilden.