Julia Zigiotti's smart finish ensured our women's team secured a point in a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa in the WSL on Saturday.
Rebekah Stott retained her spot in the starting XI from the 7-0 win over West Brom last Sunday, to make her first WSL start since returning to the club.
The New Zealand international, alongside the rest of the Albion defence, was kept busy throughout the opening 45 minutes by a Villa team who had secured a decent point against Manchester City in their last league outing.
The hosts enjoyed a lion’s share of the possession, but Albion were good in their defensive structure and managed to keep Carla Ward’s team at arm’s length.
Lucy Staniforth blazed wide from the edge of the box before Alisha Lehmann’s low effort from an angle was blocked behind by Stott for a corner.
Jens Scheuer’s team’s defensive work was undone after 33 minutes though, when Sarah Mayling’s cross from the right looped over Megan Walsh and bounced in off Kayleigh Green’s knee.
Kenza Dali’s shot at goal just before the break was tipped onto the crossbar, which meant the game wasn’t out of reach for Albion heading into the second half.
Scheuer looked to his bench at half-time to add some impetus, bringing on Emma Kullberg and Vea Sarri, with the Greece international chancing her arm from distance minutes after the restart, but her well taken effort went wide.
Rachel Daly, who is joint top scorer in the division, should have gone top of the charts after 56 minutes as she appeared to have a straightforward finish from a few yards out. Kirsty Hanson nodded the ball down to her in the box, but the England international got underneath the effort and sent it over the crossbar.
Albion settled as the half wore on and Hannah Hampton was forced into her first save of the afternoon when Sarri’s deflected effort could have caught the keeper out, but she was right behind it to gather.
The Villa stopper appeared to have bailed out her team after Laura Blindkilde’s heavy touch was pounced on by Sarri, but the Albion winger’s low effort was saved well by Hampton, but she couldn’t deny Julia Zigiotti, who took a touch when the ball ran loose and fired into the bottom right corner.
The point puts five points between us and bottom side Leicester City who lost to Manchester City earlier on in the day, as well as moving us above Reading and into tenth spot.
Albion line-up: Walsh, Fox (Visalli 70), Stott, Morse, Begsvand, Green (Kullberg 46), Connolly, Olme, Lee, Robinson (Pattinson 86), Carter (Sarri 46).
Unused subs: L Williams, V Williams, Bance, Park, Jarvis.