Albion will be in Friday’s draw for the quarter-finals of the Continental Tyres League Cup after a 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic at Oakwood on Wednesday meant they topped Group E with three wins out of three.
A line-up with six changes from the side which beat Bristol City on Sunday took control in the first half against the Championship leaders thanks to goals from Jorelyn Carabali and Tatiana Pinto, whose powerful finish was her third goal in as many games.
There should have been further goals in the second half with substitute Pauline Bremer twice hitting the crossbar. Former Albion midfielder Kayleigh Green scored a stoppage-time consolation but Albion thoroughly deserved their victory.
A third successive win will give Albion plenty of confidence with WSL leaders Chelsea next when they visit the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday.
After a quiet opening Albion took the lead after 21 minutes when Carabali met Maisie Symonds’ corner from the left with a powerful close-range header that gave Charlton keeper Jessica Gray no chance. It was the Colombian defender’s first goal for the club.
The goal settled Albion down and another set-piece led to a second goal on 37 minutes. Maria Thorisdottir lofted a free-kick into the box and when Charlton failed to clear Pinto drilled a low right-foot shot from ten yards into the bottom corner.
Albion made a quadruple change at the break with Julia Zigiotti and Emma Kullberg coming on to make their 50th appearances for the club and midfielder Zigiotti nearly celebrated with a goal when she forced Gray to turn her volley over the bar after Maisie Symonds’ free-kick had been flicked on by Li Mengwen.
Symonds had a shot blocked, Guro Bergsvand saw her header cleared and Pauline Bremer flicked a corner onto the underside of the bar as Albion looked in the mood to add further goals in a dominant second-half performance with Charlton keeper Jessica Gray impressing with her confident handling and shot stopping.
She was beaten by Bremer again in the 82nd minute but the German’s cross-shot from wide on the right came back off the bar before Geummin Lee, in lots of space, passed up another great chance when she lifted a right-foot shot over the target.
At the other end Katie Startup, who was making her first appearance of the season, had little to do but when Albion failed to clear a corner in stoppage time Green drilled a low shot into the corner to give Charlton a consolation.
Albion: Startup, Mengwen, Thorisdottir (Bergsvand 45), Pattinson (Kullberg 45), Losada (Zigiotti 45), Sarri, Carabali (McEwen 72), Pinto, Robinson (Bremer 45), Symonds, Lee.
Subs not used: Baggaley, Dent.
Attendance: 365