Albion were knocked out of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup in the Fourth Round after being beaten 0-7 by Super League side Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Playing against professional opponents, who sat 23 places above them in the football pyramid, the task at hand was always going to be difficult.
Head Coach Jenny Sugarman made five changes to the team that played in the Birmingham FA County Cup two weeks earlier, bringing captain Hannah George, Ash Brown, Abi Loydon, Phoebe Warner and Lucy Newell all back into the starting XI.
But six minutes into the game the Seagulls opened the scoring through New Zealand international Rebekah Stott. Captain Julia Zigiotti then made in two after 20 minutes – the Brighton captain intercepting the ball just outside the box and slotting home to double her side’s advantage.
And shortly after the half hour mark, Zigiotti grabbed her second and Brighton’s third. Striker Danielle Carter initially saw her shot blocked, however the skipper reacted quickest to snatch the rebound and find the net.
Despite being 0-3 down at the break, the Baggies didn’t give up and began the second half brightly, creating a couple of good passages of play and winning a corner for their efforts soon after the break.
Yet the visitors responded and stepped up the intensity, totting up their fourth and fifth goals of the tie in a matter of minutes through Carter and Katie Robinson.
American midfielder Brianna Visalli, who joined Brighton earlier this month, picked up her first goal for the Seagulls as she made it six, latching onto a pass from Jorja Fox.
And late on Fox turned from provider into scorer, wrapping up the win for the top-flight team and sending them into Round Five.
Albion: Clarke, Brown (Green 61), George (C), Loydon, Stamps (Tudor 85), Warner (Walklett 85), Mahmood (Bennett-Steele 67), Newell, Davies, Timms, Embley (Evans 61).
Subs: Haydn-Jones, Crackle, Robinson, Stubbs.