Albion’s disappointing run continued with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.
A second-half goal by Shannon O’Brien earned the hosts three points which took them off the bottom of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and condemned Hope Powell’s team to their sixth successive defeat. They have also failed to score during that sequence.
Leicester created the better chances in a scrappy affair and although there was no lack of effort from Albion they lacked a cutting edge until the closing stages when substitute Kayleigh Green twice went close to equalising.
Albion hadn’t won since beating Leicester 1-0 at the Amex in mid-November and they struggled to make much headway in a first half high on endeavour but short on quality in the final third by both sides.
Meg Walsh made a good save when she pushed away a volley from Ashleigh Plumptre midway through the first half when Leicester enjoyed a decent spell of pressure.
Albion rode the storm and after Emily Simpkins forced Demi Lambourne to hold her volley on the half-hour the midfielder went even closer four minutes later. A corner dropped to her 15 yards out and Plumptre managed to deflect her powerful shot over, otherwise it would have flown into the top corner.
Both sides were guilty of turning over possession too often and several stoppages made for a disjointed spectacle in the first half.
Ellie Brazil made way in midfield for Maisie Symonds at the break and the midfielder tested Lambourne after exchanging passes with Katie Robinson as the visitors began the second half on the front foot.
But it was Leicester who broke the deadlock on 54 minutes. Jess Sigsworth did well down the right and her pull-back found O’Brien 12 yards out and she finished calmly into the bottom corner, giving Walsh no chance.
Julia Zigiotti came on to make her debut as part of a double switch with Megan Connolly also introduced and Zigiotti wasted little time in trying to make an impression. After shooting wide from distance she charged down Lambourne’s clearance and the Foxes’ keeper was relieved to fall onto the loose ball.
Albion were indebted to Kullberg with 20 minutes left when she made a superbly-timed tackle to deny Sigsworth who was through on goal, before Kayleigh Green replaced Danielle Carter in the search for an equaliser. The Welsh international wasn’t far away when her header from Symonds’ tempting cross looped agonisingly onto the roof of the net.
Green went close again with five minutes to go when she latched onto Aileen Whelan’s pass and beat the offside trap, but Sophie Howard did just enough to put her off and she fired over. It was their last chance as Leicester held on for three precious points.
Albion: Walsh, Koivisto, Williams (Kerkdijk 78), Le Tissier, Kullberg, Simpkins (Connolly 56), Whelan, Kaagman, Robinson (Zigiotti 56), Brazil (Symonds 45), Carter (Green 69).
Subs: Startup, Bance, Bowman.