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Brighton & Hove Albion Women face Chelsea Women in the WSL at the Peoples Pension Stadium |
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It’s the Seagulls 3rd game in the big playground this season. Today, Liverpool are the opponents in the penultimate home game. It’s a six pointer as the Albion are 5th in the WSL with the Reds just a point behind. Man City are 13 points clear in 4th so this is the battle to be the best of the rest. Since we last saw them play, Maddie has been injured against Man City and will miss the rest of the season. Big loss that. And during the international break, our Michelle became a national hero scoring a worldie for the Senior Lionesses against Belgium in Belgium. It was her first senior goal after just 53 seconds on the pitch. She was with the U19 squad when she got a very late call up to replace the injured Russo for the trip to Belgium. The rest is history, literally. She gets a rare start today. Also starting from the Lionesses squad are Fran and Nikita. Maisie starts after her first senior Lioness call up too although she didn’t get to play. At least her talent has been recognised👀. The Liverpool news is that Matt Beard 🧔 was surprisingly sacked 💰 in February. Acting in his place is Amber Whiteley. She took them to the FA Cup semi-finals last week but they lost to Chelsea. They took the lead in that match through an Olivia Smith goal with her trademark fast break and diagonal rocket into the net. Hope we don’t see that today but she is lethal. We were a bit surprised to see her today as she went off injured last week. We have yet to see the Albion win at the AMEX but we are hoping to break that duck 🦆 today. We lost to Everton here at the AMEX a year ago today. Hopefully we’re not completing the Merseyside double today. It’s a very sunny ☀ April 🌧 day and it’s toasty 😎 in the front row of the East Stand. There has been a bit of a wheelie bin malfunction and some have been taken away. The remaining display is a bit half-hearted. It’s time for “Sussex by the Sea” and then we’re off.
It’s a horrible start. Olivia Smith is straight down the wing and smashing it in from an angle. Identical to the goal at Chelsea last week 😡. A week to prepare for that exact danger and we’re behind in a minute. Mustn't swear, we are in the Family Stand 😶. Drat, Damn and Whops. It restarts and we make some noise to get behind the team. They can’t keep the ball though. It’s all Liverpool with misses from Fisk, Kiernan and Fisk again. The Seagulls manage to get a shot in but Nadine misses her chance. There is an impromptu drinks break as Olivia receives treatment on 31. Rinse and repeat on 39 except the play doesn't stop this time so she is left rolling around on her own. The Seagulls get caught playing out from the back and Kiernan makes it 2-0 to the visitors on 43. Long way back now. A goal before the break would be nice. Olivia Smith, having needed treatment twice, is flying down the wing. This time Poppy keeps up and absolutely flattens her 🥊. Well in, Popps. More treatment is required and after wasting loads more time, she is replaced by Kapocs on 45+6. Poppy is booked which is fair enough. The half ends after 8 added minutes, mostly due to Olivia Smith sitting down. The is a brief relief from the heat as we get a lovely cooling spray at the halftime sprinklers.
Brighton need something now. Dario makes 3 changes. Rachel, Poppy and Nadine are replaced by Dejana, Kiko and Marisa. Maisie drops into the left centre back roll vacated by Poppy. It is better! There is more aggression in the midfield and the ball is moving forward. We start to get chances. Nikita gets caught offside. Michelle puts Kiko’s cross in the net on 48⚽. 1-2. A good start. We can’t get any momentum built and it is scrappy for a while. Fran misses from another Kiko cross. Nikita is booked for a late tackle. Michelle is injured and there is another drinks break while she gets treatment. It's now Frans turn to get booked. Michelle takes a shot from the corner of the box, it’s well high and wide as it curls into the stand but Rachel Laws was still injured in the action 🤷. More work for the physios who are earning their money 💰 today. Liverpool get a corner and Bonner is injured in the action. On come the physios again. The clock is ticking down as Bruna replaces Jelena on 81 to big cheers. She is back from Barcelona after treatment for an injury. Melina makes a good save from Holland. Bruna misses down the other end. It’s all Brighton now. Laws is booked for time wasting. Albion get a string of corners but no goals. Auee is replaced by Charlize on 90+7 as play restarts. It finishes on 90+10 with a 1-2 loss.
Not a good day for the Seagulls. Another goal for Michelle. Shame we couldn’t get more. Albion had a week off to train while Liverpool played an big FA Cup game yet it was the opposition who looked well organised and full of energy. Not having a plan for Olivia Smith and being caught out in the first minute is unbelievable. Disappointed that we underperformed when it mattered and now Liverpool have moved above us in the table as we swapped 5th and 6th places. West Ham drew so at least we didn't drop any lower but need to buck our ideas up or we will be dropping rapidly down the table. Three games to go including Arsenal at Crawley. Enough moaning. It was a nice day out and we got to test out the new fan zone which is very much a work in progress. We did get excellent value today as we got an extra 15 minutes for the same price although Liverpool players were sitting down for most of it. They are a bit fragile on the wrong side of the Mersey. We do wonder if Smith was fit having gone off injured last week and the needed treatment 3 times today before being subbed. Maybe she is just being massively over dramatic. Who knows? They were a bit of a one player team without her. Full marks to Poppy for putting her out of her misery today.
POTM: Is awarded to Melina for some great saves and trying to distribute the ball quickly even if no-one wanted it.
The ref got played by the Reds today with all their falling over and rolling around. She got a few names for her collection as well.
The Scran’O’meter tested out “The Terrace”, the new fan zone. The Ultra Cheese Melt toastie was nice getting 8/10. The ordering system needs sorting out though. The catering on the concourse was very slow at half time. Not Arsenal slow but bad enough. And the AMEX stewards and staff are the last remaining outpost for removing bottle tops 🍾.
See you on Monday if it's not too foggy on the Tye.
Love Tranmerekat 🐾
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| In the AMEX with Sally |
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| Smokey in here |
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| Checking out the new fan zone |
