Aston Villa’s 2023 calendar year closed with a home fixture against 9th place Brighton.
Earlier in the week, we saw a dominant second half performance against Durham in the league cup, featuring a Rachel Daly hattrick, as well as goals for Adriana Leon and Rachel Corsie. Once again, Carla Ward was tasked with carrying this form into the league against tougher opposition.
Head of WSL Content: Georgia Homer
Ward was forced into several decisions, with a recent update suggesting that Villa might be without Daphne van Domselaar, Alisha Lehmann, and Dan Turner. As it turned out, Turner was fit enough to make the bench, but Lucy Staniforth returned to the midfield and Anna Leat made her first league start of the season in goal. Rumours of an emergency loan for a goalkeeper did not end up coming to fruition.
Villa started brightly with a couple of early chances created by Kirsty Hanson’s trademark run down the left wing. Kenza Dali also offered an opportunity through a free-kick swung into the box; Brighton were able to clear as far as Daly, who tried an ambitious hook back over her head towards goal, which Baggaley collected.
Daly came close again in the 13th minute, this time receiving the ball from Sarah Mayling on the right, but her flicked shot was easily saved again. Just a couple of minutes later, Daly set up Dali on the edge of the box, whose looping effort dipped narrowly over the bar.
The efforts on goal continued, but the Villa players struggled to test Baggaley. Dali and Daly both took on more shots, but both straight at the goalkeeper, including an overhead attempt by Daly at the half-hour mark.
Villa thought they had taken the lead in the 31st minute, when Rachel Daly’s long-range effort was parried into the oncoming Adriana Leon, who could tap home. The goal was ruled offside, although it looked very close.
The remainder of the first 45 was more of the same for Villa, with Jordan Nobbs having two shots herself, but the half ended with a scare at the other end. A simple through-ball sent Elisabeth Terland away on goal with three Villa defenders trying to close in, but Terland managed to shoot and hit the crossbar.
Although she had little to do, Anna Leat impressed in the second-half when she made a decisive save, running out to snatch the ball from Katie Robinson’s feet.
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Villa remained on top after the break, but continued to waste chances. Just when fans were starting to wonder if a chance would ever be taken, Adriana Leon found the breakthrough. Anna Patten’s pass reached Leon out wide, and the winger managed to wriggle her way around Poppy Pattinson and down the byline, before squeezing her shot between the legs of Sophie Baggaley at the near post.
Terland came close to an equaliser for Brighton when a loose pass was stolen from Lucy Staniforth in Villa’s own half, but Leat was ready again when called upon and stopped the ball reaching the bottom right corner.
Ward swapped Hanson and Nobbs for Magill and Parker to see out the 1-0 victory, made slightly nervous by the dismissal of Maz Pacheco in the 89th minute for a second bookable offence. Dan Turner was also brought on in injury time and helped the team get over the line.
It should have been a more comfortable scoreline, but it was a performance that Villa can be proud of. The team end the year in 9th, leapfrogging Brighton, with the January transfer window just around the corner.
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AUTHOR | GEORGIA HOMER
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