Albion climbed to eighth in the Women’s Super League after making it back to back away wins with a gutsy triumph over Leicester City.
The Seagulls would have led at the break but for some fine saves by Foxes’ keeper Liza Kop and they looked like paying for those misses when Jutta Rantala struck ten minutes into the second half.
But Mikey Harris’s side hit back with two goals in six minutes by substitute Madison Haley and Katie Robinson, her sixth of the season.
Leicester looked to have secured a point when substitute Lena Petterman made it 2-2 with six minutes to go but within 60 seconds Elisabeth Terland finished off a superb move with a wonderful volley to restore Albion’s lead with her 12th goal of the WSL campaign.
Sophie Baggaley then denied Rantala in stoppage time with a brilliant save to seal Albion’s first win at the King Power Stadium.
The first half had, territorially at least, been evenly contested but it was Albion who carved out the clear-cut chances.
The best came after 12 minutes. Robinson and Terland were involved but when the ball broke to the unmarked Vea Sarri six yards out she skied her left-foot shot up and over the bar.
Kop then made a trio of saves before the break. She denied Sarri again on 24 minutes, plunging low to her right to block her shot after Albion had counter-attacked through Terland and Tatiana Pinto.
Kop got down low to keep out Vicky Losada’s free-kick from 22 yards and five minutes before the break stretched to flip another free-kick from 35 yards by Jorelyn Carabali over the bar.
Leicester were a threat down the flanks through Deanne Rose and Rantala with Rose going closest to a first-half goal for the hosts when her angled effort took a deflection off Li Mengwen and rolled across the face of goal with no one in a blue shirt able to apply the final touch.
Leicester were the better side at the start of the second half and Rantala broke the deadlock in the 55th minute. Played in by Yuka Momiki, she took a couple of paces before lashing a right-foot shot into the roof of the net.
But Albion hit back with two goals in six minutes. They levelled on 62 minutes when Kop tried to punch the ball away after Leicester failed to deal with Poppy Pattinson’s corner and her clearance bounced off Haley and into the net, the American’s second goal of the season with virtually her first touch after coming on.
Albion took the lead when Julia Zigotti intercepted Kop’s clearance and played a first-time pass into Robinson’s path. With Kop stranded, Robinson rounded her and coolly slid the ball right-footed into the empty net.
The visitors had further opportunities to stretch their lead on the counter-attack before Leicester levelled when Petermann converted a fine pass by Saori Takarada with a powerful shot into the far corner.
The hosts fancied they could go on and win it but instead they fell behind again within a minute. Terland spread play wide to the right and continued her run into the box and when Robinson’s cross was cushioned into her path by Haley, Terland’s right-foot volley flashes past Kop and Albion led 3-2, her 14th goal in all competitions.
Leicester carved out one more chance deep into stoppage time but Baggaley made a terrific block to divert Rantala’s powerful shot up and over and onto the roof of the net. Moments later Albion could celebrate a crucial win with the travelling fans.
Albion: Baggaley, Mengwen (Kullberg 90), Bergsvand, Carabali, Pattinson, Sarri (Haley 58), Zigiotti, Losada (Symonds 74), Robinson, Pinto (Lee 58), Terland.
Subs not used: Loeck, Startup, Dent, McEwen.
Match report in association with SnickersUK.com