Albion's hopes of a top-six finish in the WSL suffered a setback with a home defeat to bottom of the table Birmingham City at the People's Pension Stadium.
Julia Zigiotti scored her first goal for the club in the second half and Albion also hit the woodwork twice while Blues’ keeper Emily Ramsey made some impressive saves.
But it was the visitors who made the most of their chances. Veatriki Sarri gave them an early lead and skipper Louise Quinn netted from corners either side of Zigiotti’s goal to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation.
It was the visitors who broke the deadlock in the eighth minute after Albion had dominated the early stages. Emma Kullberg’s hesitant touch was seized upon by Sarri who drove a low shot across Meg Walsh and in off the far post.
Geummin Lee was denied a quick equaliser when Ramsey kept out her curling shot from 15 yards at full stretch then Victoria Williams met Inessa Kaagman’s free kick with a header at the far post, which a Blues’ defender blocked.
Albion went close again when Aileen Whelan’s close-range shot was blocked with her legs by Ramsey after Kullberg, who was enjoying a lot of room down the left saw her shot blocked by Quinn.
Kaagman was next to threaten after a great move but Ramsey pushed out her shot and before the break Kayleigh Green’s looping header beat Ramsey but hit the bar.
Danielle Carter replaced Aileen Whelan at the break and Ramsey was called upon to make another save ten minutes into the second half to push out Kaagman’s shot after the Dutch player cut in from the left.
Albion were again enjoying plenty of possession but finding a way through Birmingham’s low block was proving problematic. The visitors were happy to sit deep and funnel players behind the ball to frustrate their opponents.
Ramsey was having a great afternoon. A feint touch onto Carter’s shot prevented it from sneaking inside the post and with a quarter of the game to go it looked as if Albion had run out of ideas.
And their frustration increased when Birmingham doubled their lead. Goalscorer Sarri stood up a cross from the left and Quinn was left unmarked to head powerfully past Walsh from close range.
It was harsh on Albion to find themselves two down but they nearly responded straight away when Kaagman spotted Ramsey off her line and beat her with a chip from distance which bounced back off the bar.
Albion finally got on the scoresheet with six minutes to go. Substitute Maisie Symonds pulled the ball back from the line to Zigiotti 12 yards out and she side-footed it into the net with some power.
But with three minutes to go Quinn scored her second after Albion failed to clear a corner and ensured three precious points were heading back to Birmingham.
Albion: Walsh, Le Tissier, Williams, Kerkdijk (Koivisto 68), Kullberg, Connolly, Whelan (Carter 45), Kaagman, Green, Lee (Symonds 63), Zigiotti.
Subs not used: Bowman, Bance, Simpkins, Startup.
Attendance: 1209.