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Sunday 29 August 2004 FA Nationwide Women's Premier League, Southern Division
Brighton & Hove Albion Ladies
3
-
1
AFC Wimbledon
Match report
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION LADIES 3 AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 1
Despite a much improved display and dominating the possession, AFC Wimbledon Ladies' vulnerability to the quick counterattack and inability to find a telling ball in the final third meant their poor start to the season continued in the same vein at the Withdean Stadium.
With Laura Smith still unavailable, Graham Newnham started Michelle Riley in midfield in place of Kerry Knott and Rachael Axon dropped back into the sweeper position, with Kylie Davies resuming at right back, Lauren Nuttall at left back and Keisha Ramos joining Beth Sims up front.
The Dons started brightly and a Riley header forced a save, but the warning signs were apparent when Sophie Perry was left unmarked to scuff a shot wide. Brighton went ahead in the 15th minute when a great crossfield ball found Emma Mead unmarked and she slotted the ball home under Lou Cooper. Lizzie Laws then shot narrowly wide before Cooper turned another Perry shot into the side netting. Ten minutes before the break a ligament injury to Lauren Nuttall gave the ladies new physio, Zoe Lander, her first taste of action, and forced a first half reshuffle for the second away game running, with Keisha Ramos dropping into the right back berth and Lisa Patey coming off the bench to partner Sims.
A slow Dons start to the second half saw Mead shoot wide before a poor clearance fell to Perry, who wrong-footed Cooper from 25 yards to make it 2-0 in the 47th minute. Perry extended Brighton's lead on the hour after evading the offside trap, a theme that continued throughtout the second half and gave Brighton several opportunities that were either wasted or well covered by Cooper. A Dons corner then hit the top of the crossbar and fell to Lisa Patey at the back post, who rifled a fierce volley off the underside of the bar, leaving most away fans with the impression that it had crossed the line before bouncing away. A double substitution with twenty minutes remaining changed the course of the game, but it wasn't enough. Julie Bygrave's shot deflected wide off Jo Goodwin, before Goodwin reduced the deficit in the 76th minute with an excellent half volley at the back of the area from an fine left side cross. Maria Bertelli was then clean through and had more time than she realised, only for her first-time lob to dip over the bar. Brighton had the final action of the game when Perry shot wide at the other end.
