Albion beat Birmingham in Conti Cup

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Melissa Phillips's team cruise to victory in opening group stage match.

Colin Tattum

2023-10-11T20:41:00Z

Charlie Rule heads home for her debut goal.

Our women's team opened their Conti Cup campaign with an assured win at St Andrew's on Wednesday night.

A powerful header by Charlie Rule set them on their way during a strong first-half showing.

And a goal by substitute Katie Robinson shortly after half-time ensured that the visitors were not going to relinquish their control on the Group E fixture.

The victory was sealed just before full time through Elisabeth Terland, who also came off the bench to make a decisive contribution.

Melissa Phillips made nine changes to the side that was defeated by West Ham on Sunday and will have been delighted with the response and performance she got.

Rule nets first goal for Albion in her starting debut.

Albion almost made a flying start in the second minute when Madison Haley strode forward down the middle and lofted a drive towards goal from the edge of the area. Birmingham were saved by Charlotte Clarke, who sprung at full stretch to tip the shot over.

The home side responded with what proved to be their most threatening attack of the first-half. Claudia Walker got on the end of a cross by Martha Harris and Nicky Evrard did well to parry her header and then block the resulting follow-up.

Albion took a grip on the game in the 16th minute from a left wing corner. Rule met Mackenzie Hawkesby's superb near post delivery with a firm header from close range that gave Clarke no chance.

The corner came after another moment of danger, when Gemma Lawley was forced out of possession on the edge of the box. Veatriki Sarri's low, skidding shot was tipped round the post by Clarke - and Albion subsequently profited from the corner kick.

The lead might have been doubled just before the interval as Li Mengwen's pass found Pauline Bremer on a diagonal run into the Birmingham area, but the defence just did enough to knock her out of her stride, forcing a miscued shot that Clarke easily gathered.

Albion made two changes during the break and one of them, Robinson, made an instant impact.

Robinson back on the scoresheet after netting Albion's second.

In the 49th minute the England international was sent free down the right-hand side. She raced away from the Birmingham backline and cracked a fierce shot low and across Clarke, just inside the post. It was a devastating move and clinical finish that put Brighton firmly in charge.

Birmingham themselves had rung the changes, making three substitutions at half-time, and although it sparked them into life, that second goal made their task all the more difficult. They did come close in the 79th minute, as Substitute Lucy Quinn cut in from the left and struck a spectacular effort from 25 yards that rebounded off the crossbar, with it looking as if Evrard may just have got fingertips to the ball as it arrowed in.

Albion secure first win in run of Conti Cup matches.

But Albion sealed the result in the 87th minute after Sarri got the better of Abbi Jenner down the left and fired the ball across the six-yard box for Terland to turn in.

Albion: Evrard, Bergsvand (Kullberg 74), Sarri, Bremer (Robinson ht), Carabali (Thorisdottir ht), Hawkesby, Pinto, Symonds (Losada 60), Haley (Terland 60), Mengwen, Rule.