Albion Women picked up a hard-fought 3-1 win over Sporting Khalsa at the Guardian Warehousing Arena.
Strikes from debutant Lucy Day, forward Ellie May and an own goal secured all three FA WNL Northern Premier points on Sunday, despite Lowri Walker’s first-half equaliser.
The win was the Baggies’ second in-a-row, and they’ll look to extend that run with the visit of Cambridge United in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup next Sunday (2pm).
Manager Siobhan Hodgetts-Still made five changes to the side that beat Leeds United in the FA WNL Cup last weekend. She opted for a new centre-back partnership as Izzy Green returned from injury, while Day was handed her debut alongside her.
The Baggies had early chances through skipper Olivia Rabjohn and Taylor Reynolds, but neither could direct their efforts goalwards, before Charlotte Clarke produced an acrobatic save to deny Ella Thompson’s long-range attempt.
It was debutant Day who opened the scoring after Phoebe Warner smuggled a pass through to her in the box – leaving the centre-back with a tap-in to put Albion ahead.
The visiting advantage would last no longer than five minutes, though, as Walker met a ricocheted corner at the back post to equalise.
Hodgetts-Still’s side looked rejuvenated at the start of the second period, and they made their early pressure count. An inviting cross looked to be en route to May, but Khalsa captain Megan Cann beat her to it, heading into an empty net.
The Baggies didn’t stop in their pursuit of further goals. Moments later they scored again, and this time there was no denying May a goal as she rolled a neat finish into the bottom corner for a third.
Both teams were reduced to 10 players after Cann and Seren Watkins were sent off during an altercation involving the two sides, but that didn’t deter the visitors from collecting an important victory in Willenhall.
Albion: Clarke; Reynolds, Green (Green 72’), Day, Haughey; Watkins, Rabjohn, Warner, Robinson (Orthodoxou 72’), Kehoe (Sorrentino 61’); May (Hammond-McLean 90’).
Substitutes: Johnson, Jhamat, Sharp.
