Inessa Kaagman was spot on again as Albion reached the last 16 of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup.
The Dutch international secured a second successive 1-0 win for her side from the penalty spot as Albion edged out fellow WSL side Bristol City at the People’s Pension Stadium on Sunday. They now face Huddersfield Town for a place in the quarter-finals.
The game lacked clear-cut chances but Emily Simpkins was fouled as she hit the post for the decisive penalty while Ebony Salmon struck the woodwork in the first half in Bristol’s best opening of the game.
Albion are now at home to Huddersfield Town on May 16 in round five.
Hope Powell had made six changes to the team which beat Manchester United 1-0 last time out and she watched Albion make a decent start without creating anything, although they had to readjust midway through the half when Fliss Gibbons went off with an injury and was replaced by Victoria Williams.
Beth Roe got forward from right-back to force Sophie Baggaley to turn her drive over the bar at full stretch and Nora Heroum’s clever lob dropped onto the roof of the net after Bristol failed to clear a corner.
But it was the visitors’ England international Salmon who had the best chance in the first half. Having already gone close with a volley from the right-hand side of the box, she hit a powerful shot after breaking into the box on the left which hit the inside of the post and rebounded off Williams into Cecilie Fiskerstrand’s gloves.
Baggaley was forced to make saves from Williams’ volley and a drive by Rianna Jarrett as Albion upped the tempo after a low-key start to the second half. There was no lack of effort and endeavour but both defences were proving hard to break down.
The breakthrough came on 64 minutes as Kaagman struck. Heroum's pass found Simpkins and she hit the post with a right-foot shot but the referee ruled Jemma Purfield had handled while challenging Simpkins and Kaagman blasted the penalty past Baggeley, her eighth of the season.
With Salmon having been substituted on the hour, Bristol offered little threat of an equaliser and Roe and Heroum weren’t far away from adding a second for Albion in the closing stages.
Albion: Fiskerstrand, Roe, Le Tissier, Kerkdijk, Gibbons (Williams 25), Heroum, Simpkins, Bance, Kaagman, Jarrett, Brazil (Green 74). Subs: Koivisto, Olding, Connolly, Symonds, Walsh, Startup.
Referee: Louise Saunders