Albion were unable to contain an impressive Chelsea side as their first game under interim head coach Amy Merricks ended in defeat on Wednesday.
We had pulled off the best win our WSL history at a freezing cold Kingsmeadow two years ago but a repeat looked unlikely after the champions raced into a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes thanks to goals from Guro Reiten and Jess Carter.
Elisabeth Terland hit the bar in the second half before substitute Danielle Carter scored a late consolation – her fifth goal of the season - and Merricks would have been pleased with the spirit and organisation her players showed, particularly after the break when they pushed higher up the pitch and tested the hosts a bit more.
Chelsea had been quickly into their stride though and it needed an instinctive goalline clearance by Meg Connolly to prevent Johanna Rytting Kaneryd from giving them a sixth-minute lead, with Lydia Williams beaten by her angled effort.
Jess Carter was free at the back post from the resultant corner only to volley wide, but Albion did go behind in the 11th minute when Zoe Morse brought down Sam Kerr in the box. The defender’s claims that she’d got the ball and that Kerr had been offside fell on deaf ears and Reiten drilled a low penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.
Albion struggled to get out of their own half in the opening quarter. Maren Mjelde was next to threaten when she tiptoed past two defenders to create a shooting opportunity but dragged her effort wide. Victoria Williams, restored to the line-up for the first time in 2023, cleared Carter’s header but Carter did make it 2-0 in the 21st minute, firing through a crowd of players low past Lydia Williams after Albion failed to clear Reiten’s corner.
Albion got a bit of a foothold in the game but nearly conceded again in the 32nd minute when Jelena Cankovic hit the bar with an audacious chip.
Albion had a decent spell at the start of the second half although keeper Williams was nearly left red-faced when she tried to clear Emma Kullberg’s back pass and missed her kick, but fortunately the ball rolled wide of the open goal.
Albion tested Zecira Musovic for the first time in the 61st minute when Elisabeth Terland tried her luck from 20 yards but the Chelsea keeper made a comfortable save. She was stranded five minutes later though when Terland hit an instinctive volley from the right-hand edge of the box which unluckily clattered back off the crossbar with Musovic stranded.
Williams made a great save to deny Kerr when Chelsea’s attack clicked into gear again and the hosts made the game safe with a third goal in the 72nd minute. Kerr timed her run to beat Albion’s offside trap before teeing up Reiten for her second.
Albion did get a reward for their efforts two minutes from time and it was what they deserved for their second-half fightback. Substitute Vea Sarri’s shot was blocked by Kadeisha Buchanan, but the ball fell for Carter for the second successive season at Kingsmeadow.
It was only a consolation but will give Albion some confidence as they turn their attention to a home game against another of the title chasers, Manchester City, on Sunday.
Albion: L.Williams, Morse, V.Williams, Kullberg, Pattinson; Robinson, Zigiotti ©, Connolly, Visalli (Sarri 64), Lee (Carter 84), Terland (Bance 84).
Subs not used: Walsh, Startup, Bergsvand, Park, Jarvis.