Albion left frustrated by stoppage-time equaliser

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Elisabeth Terland and Guro Bergsvand on target but Albion are held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United.

Bruce Talbot

2023-11-05T20:45:00Z

Elisabeth Terland celebrates after her dramatic record-breaking winner.

Albion had to settle for a point after Manchester United grabbed an equaliser in the eighth minute of stoppage time after a thriller at the Broadfield Stadium.

Skipper Guro Bergsvand looked to have won it with a powerful close-range header in the final minute but Rachel Williams, who scored United’s late winner against Albion in last season’s FA Cup semi-final, came to her side’s rescue.

Heartache at the end then for Albion, but they can be proud of their performance. Elisabeth Terland had put them in front with her sixth goal of the season and player of the match Sophie Baggaley defied her former club with some fine saves, before she was beaten by Ella Toone’s strike 12 minutes from time.

Elisabeth Terland puts Albion ahead against Bristol City with her tenth WSL goal of the season.

Albion lined up with a different back four. Skipper for the night Guro Bergsvand switched to right-back and her place in central defence was taken by Jorelyn Carabali.

Two Albion players – Maria Thorisdottir and Baggaley – were facing their former club and Baggaley made a stunning save in the third minute to turn a powerful shot by Melvine Malard round the post.

But Albion settled into the game and United were indebted to their own keeper Mary Earps when Albion created a flurry of chances midway through the first half. Earps got down to her right to save Terland’s low shot on the turn before keeping out Carabali’s header from Maisie Symonds’ corner. Earps was beaten by Pauline Bremer’s cross-shot which came back off the bar before United scrambled it away.

A hug for Guro Bergsvand and smiles all round after Albion regained the lead.

Albion’s pressure paid off on the half hour. Symonds’ ball in from the right was controlled in an instant by Terland who turned and drilled a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner.

United regained the initiative quickly and Baggaley made a brilliant full-stretch save when she tipped Toone’s angled effort onto the bar before bravely preventing Millie Turner from converting the loose ball.

Emma Kullberg tested Earps after a great break down the left; substitute Vicky Losada’s long-range effort had Earps scrambling to her right; and Terland had a goal disallowed for offside as Albion started the second half confidently.

At the other end Baggaley wasn’t as busy as she had been in the first half as Albion, who had switched from a back three to a back four in the second half, offered solid protection.

Well done: Guro Bergsvand acknowledges Sophie Baggaley, who made some fine saves against her old club.

But when called upon her handling was exemplary and she had no chance when United levelled with 12 minutes to go. Albion’s appeals for a foul on the touchline on Carabali were ignored and the ball was switched centrally to Toone who drilled an unstoppable right-foot shot from the edge of the box into the top corner.

United may have fancied their chances of going on to win the game but Albion roused themselves and produced a brilliant response.

Earps showed her class when she made two brilliant saves in the space of a minute, blocking Bremer’s far-post header after she had been picked out by Geummin Lee’s cross before stretching to turn Julia Zigiotti’s volley over the bar.

Katie Robinson is challenged by United defender Lisa Naalsund.

Earps then turned Vea Sarri’s shot onto the bar but she could do nothing when Sarri swung the corner in from the right and Bergsvand sent a bullet header into the roof of the net at the far post. Two goals by two of Albion's Norweigan contingent.

It looked like being the winner but Earps came up for a corner and when the ball dropped in a crowded box Williams lashed it past Baggaley.

Albion: Baggaley, Carabali, Thorisdottir, Bergsvand, Kullberg, Zigiotti (sub: Rule 90+4), Symonds (Losada 56), Robinson (Sarri 67), Bremer (Pinto 90+4), Haley (Lee 45), Terland.