Albion Women secured an impressive 1-0 win over Rugby Borough in the FA WNL Northern Premier Division on Sunday afternoon.
The Baggies took an early lead within 10 minutes through skipper-for-the-day Liv Rabjohn’s half-volley,
And they held on to a cleansheet, despite some nervy moments, to notch an important victory ahead of hosting Burnley at the Valley Stadium next weekend.
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still made two changes from the side that overcame Aston Villa to reach the Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup final. Fran Orthodoxou and Rhianne Oakley were restored to the Baggies XI, while Rabjohn was handed the armband.
Albion put the pressure on during the opening stages. Simran Jhamat’s relentless pressing on Anna Pedersen almost forced a mistake, as the goalkeeper cannoned a pass off the Baggies forward, only to see the ball drop agonisingly wide.
Jhamat soon claimed an assist, though - her fizzing cross reaching Rabjohn lurking outside the area, and an excellent touch enabled her to nestle one into the top corner.
Some heroic protection of the Albion goal from Anna Miller and Izzy Green meant the visitors went into half-time leading.
The second period brought more of the same. The Baggies carefully calculated their opportunities to get forward, with Maddie Oliver lofting a volley over the crossbar, before Oakley’s searching pass was pinched from the toes of Jhamat when poised to shoot.
From then on in, Albion showed terrific fight to ride a wave of Rugby pressure and hold on for a huge three points at Kilsby Lane.
Albion: Miller; Reynolds, Green, Oliver, Haughey (George 76’); Evans, Orthodoxou, Miller, Jhamat (Brown 65’), Rabjohn, Oakley (Mahmood 81’).
Substitutes: Johnson, Rhodes, Janny.
