Brighton Women 1-4 Manchester City Women: Visitors cruise to 10th straight WSL win

Manchester City kept pace with Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea with a routine victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at Broadfield Stadium.

City are second in the WSL, only trailing Chelsea on goal difference.

Former City player Lee Geum-min added a late consolation for Brighton, who remain eight points above the relegation place.

The visitors immediately assumed dominance of possession as Brighton sat deep, but had to be patient before finding the breakthrough on 27 minutes.

Jess Park had space in midfield to turn and thread a through ball for Hemp to chase and finish from the corner of the six-yard area.

Brighton keeper Sophie Baggaley should have done better, either in coming out to the through ball or in stopping Hemp’s shot, which squeezed under her body and over the line.

The three points were all but secured five minutes before half-time, when a slick team move ended in Hemp’s fine cross from the left being finished by the sliding Fowler in acres of space.

Hemp came close to her second and City’s third early in the second half when she struck the post from the edge of the area, before Shaw did make it 3-0 by heading in Yui Hasegawa’s deep cross at the far post.

The fourth came when Coombs coolly finished Fowler’s cut-back from the edge of the area – although City could not find the six goals which would have moved them above Chelsea on goal difference.

Instead Brighton scored the game’s final goal in stoppage time, Lee turning home a low cross from close range.

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