Women's Team

Sporting Khalsa 1-3 Albion Women

An image of Albion defending a corner against Sporting Khalsa

Albion Women secured a convincing friendly victory over FA WNL Division One Midlands outfit Sporting Khalsa at the Aspray Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Baggies hit their opposition with two early goals as Izzie Whittick and Phoebe Warner opened the scoring in the first half.

Returning forward Steph Weston added a third shortly before the end, and Sporting Khalsa's Ania Denham tapped home for nothing more than a consolation.

Albion are back in league action one final time this season when they take on Newcastle United at the Valley Stadium on this Sunday (May 5) in Redditch.

An image of Simran Jhamat taking on a defender

Siobhan Hodgetts-Still named a rotated team to face their Midlands rivals, handing Hayley Crackle her first start since October, while featuring striker Weston on the bench following her recovery from a hamstring injury.

It was the visitors who started in rampant fashion - Warner was set into space on the right-hand side and set-up Whittick to convert and send the Baggies a goal up.

Khalsa could have equalised just six minutes later, Megan Cann came in to meet a corner, only to glance it narrowly over.

Instead, though, Albion netted again. Warner caused the home side’s defence more problems, this time pressing high to win the ball, then bearing down on goal and slotting a calm finish past Natalie Hall.

An image of Phoebe Warner shaping up to shoot

Substitute Weston, who was part of a pack of changes on the hour mark, almost added another to the scoreline after the interval. She twisted past her defender before chipping a cross towards the back post, which almost caught substitute goalkeeper Ellie Mae Locke out, but grazed the bar.

At the heart of Albion’s creativity once again, Warner combined with Rabjohn to send a cross toward the back post - which was put behind by a Khalsa defender when Weston was lurking.

Yet Weston would soon have a reward for her endeavours, latching on to a misplaced back pass to fire into the bottom right corner – notching against her former club.

Khalsa grabbed a late consolation via Wolves loanee Denham, however that wouldn’t stop Albion from securing victory in an good run out.

Next, the Baggies play their final FA WNL Northern Premier Division game of the season on Sunday against champions Newcastle United at the Valley Stadium in Redditch (ko 3pm).

Albion Women: Jones (Trialist 70’), Brown (George 60’), Crackle, Green, Reynolds, Evans, Orthodoxou (Trialist 60’), Warner, Jhamat (Rabjohn 60’), Whittick (Straker 60’), Cole (Weston 60’).