Clinton wonder goal caps comeback win over Seagulls

Goals from Martha Thomas, Grace Clinton and Ria Percival saw us come from a goal down to claim our first away win of the Women's Super League season as we triumphed 3-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

Trailing to Elisabeth Terland's early header, we played some superb football at the AMEX Stadium and deservedly went in level when Thomas bagged her fourth goal in as many games on the stroke of half-time.

Midfielder Clinton fired us ahead in some style, lashing home her first goal in our colours - and her first career WSL goal - from distance in the 65th minute before substitute Percival made sure with a deflected effort in stoppage time, her second goal in two matches.

It was just reward for another excellent footballing display under Robert Vilahamn - Brighton tried to match us and did produce some neat passages of play at times, but once we hit our stride there was simply no containing us.

It was the hosts who took the lead, though, needing just eight minutes to do so as Terland sent a glancing header from Maisie Symonds' corner flying across Becky Spencer - restored to the starting XI as Robert named the same team that started our previous league game against Bristol City - and into the far corner of the net.

We went close midway through the first half as one of several menacing set-pieces from Eveliina Summanen caused problems for Brighton, Drew Spence initially meeting her corner with a header, Ashleigh Neville then seeing her header blocked before her subsequent shot was charged down into the path of Luana Buhler, whose drive was also blocked in the Seagulls' box.

As the half-hour mark came and went, we were playing some superb stuff, but Spencer was still needed to make sharp low saves from Terland and Vicky Losada during the first half. Thomas went close twice at the other end, blazing off target under pressure from the right angle inside the box on 33 minutes and then seeing another attempt blocked by advancing goalkeeper Nicky Evrard as she twisted and turned her way into a shooting position. But she finally made a breakthrough on the stroke of half-time, placing a controlled volley into the bottom corner after Spence's stunning shot from distance had crashed back off the crossbar. Evrard got her fingertips to the ball but couldn't keep it out.

The hosts made a triple change at the break but we continued on the front foot, Celin Bizet's goalbound shot being blocked in the box, while the introduction of Jess Naz only heightened our attacking prowess. We duly took the lead in the 65th minute, Clinton taking a short pass from Olga Ahtinen 25 yards out and, with nothing obviously on, lashing high beyond Evrard from a central position - a stunning strike.

Julia Zigiotti and Bizet went close at either end while Thomas' shot from Rosella Ayane's cut-back was blocked well by defender Maria Thorisdottir, with Brighton's counter-attack ended with their penalty appeals waved away after Madison Haley went to ground in our box under Molly Bartrip's challenge.

Any hopes Brighton had of nicking a point were extinguished in the fourth minute of stoppage time, though, as Naz found Percival with a cut-back and her shot deflected in off defender Guro Bergsvand. Haley went close with one final chance for Brighton, but that was that as we celebrated a third win in eight days in all competitions.

Match data

Goals: Brighton - Terland 8; Spurs - Thomas 45+3, Clinton 65, Percival 90+4.

Yellow card: Brighton - Pinto 81.

Referee: Kirsty Dowle.

Venue: AMEX Stadium.

Weather: Sunny, gentle breeze, 11 degrees.