Phillips: It's about how we respond

Albion boss Melissa Phillips felt West Ham were sharper in both boxes in their 2-0 defeat at Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.

Richie Mills

2023-10-08T14:06:00Z

Phillips praised the noise from the Albion fans this afternoon.

Goals in either half from Kirsty Smith and Riko Ueki secured the Hammers all three points in Brighton's first home game of the Women's Super League season. Elisabeth Terland, Pauline Bremer, and debutant Madison Haley went closest for the hosts but in the end, they were unable to back up their 2-1 win over Everton last weekend. After the match, Phillips felt her team weren't clinical enough, but also praised the Hammers for their tactical approach. "Naturally, we are going to be disappointed. I think we know it took us too long to grow into both halves, we started the first half a little bit too slow and were rattled by their press. We grew into the game but unfortunately we didn't convert a chance before half time," she said.

"We were really dangerous in the final 15 minutes of the first half and if we convert there, you go into half time 1-1 and it's a completely different second half. "But ultimately, the second half unfortunately went the same way as the first, we conceded early into the half, and grew into it as the game went on. It wasn't for a lack of response or creation, they [West Ham] were just more clinical and attacked and defended both boxes better than we did today."

Geum Min Lee takes on her opponent.

Despite the defeat, Phillips was happy with how her team, who had 14 shots to the visitors' 10, responded to conceding each time. "It's all about how we respond when we concede a goal. Credit to the girls because we created a lot at the end of either half, it is just the fine margins and decision-making and, ultimately, goals change games and so we weren't able to find the back of the net," she said. "It's not to knock the performance, we know there are areas that we will have to grow from every game, this league is incredibly competitive. We knew that and we didn't look at West Ham lightly. We are going to have to pick ourselves back up and dig in because there's a new week ahead. We've obviously got a Conti Cup match on the horizon and then Spurs on the weekend, so that will be our focus." Phillips, whose side face Birmingham City in the FA Women's League Cup on Wednesday before hosting Tottenham at the Amex in the WSL, also thanked the near-2,000 fans who came out to cheer on their side. "You could certainly feel the energy at the end of both halves, they [the fans] were willing us on and definitely felt the support. It was lovely to see so many fans here today and we hope that continues," she added.