Manchester United earned a 3-2 win over Brighton in the Women's Super League on Sunday afternoon, making it five wins from seven league games in 2025/26 and extending our unbeaten start.
Brighton had lost just two of their previous 14 WSL home games coming into the weekend, underlining the nature of the task at the Broadfield Stadium in Crawley – the Reds had drawn away against the Seagulls in each of the last two seasons.
After missing our Champions League win in Madrid and then withdrawing from England duty due to a delayed concussion, there was a return for October WSL Player of the Month Jess Park. But a back injury kept Celin Bizet Donnum out of this one, while Leah Galton was absent through illness.
Elisabeth Terland's calm finish against her former club at the end of the first half got the ball rolling in a game that eventually saw five goals shared. Park marked her return with another goal, later also setting up Lisa Naalsund for our decisive third. Fran Kirby had got the hosts back in it at 2-1, while Kiko Seike threatened to make it a nervy finish by reducing the United lead to 3-2 late on.
The game also saw the return of Hannah Blundell to the pitch, fittingly against her local team growing up, for the first time since giving birth in March.
FIRST HALF
United edged possession in the early stages, although the first sights of goal around five minutes in went the way of the hosts. Kirby had a shot blocked by Hinata Miyazawa after ghosting into a dangerous position, before Maisie Symonds fired the rebound over from 20 yards out.
But the Reds soon found a creative footing and began to apply pressure. First, a dipping shot from Park was saved and held by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, before Melvine Malard's great footwork in a crowded box engineered a chance for Julia Zigiotti Olme – the shot was deflected just wide.
A counter soon presented when Moeka Minami slid in to block Ella Toone's shot. Terland went close to breaking the deadlock after being slipped through by Park, after she burst through the lines with a direct run, but the resultant shot from Teri across goal flew wide of the far post. Park herself was also denied when Kirby got back just in time to take the power off the effort.
Brighton managed to muster a couple of efforts of their own as the half progressed, with Phallon Tullis-Joyce getting behind Jelena Cankovic's shot and loanee Rosa Kafaji firing wide. But, after Toone had forced a good save from Nnadozie low to her right, also reacting quickly to retrieve the rebound, United's breakthrough from Terland on the stroke of half-time was coming.
There was nothing Nnadozie could do this time, as an unmarked Teri calmly swept the ball home from the middle of the box. It was Toone's pass that squeezed its way through to her, but Zigiotti deserves credit for the body strength that stopped Minami from being able to clear the danger.
SECOND HALF
United have rarely failed to go on and win games in the WSL over the years when leading at half-time and Park's excellent strike just under an hour in opened up a two-goal cushion. Jayde Riviere intercepted a pass to win the ball back deep in Brighton territory, and it was more of the kind of link up between Jess and Tooney that has defined much of the season so far.
The run of Toone into the box was spotted by Park, who then received the ball back again. Coming onto the pass, our unstoppable no.8 unleashed a first-time strike with her left foot, on the 18-yard line, that rippled the inside of the side netting just inside the far post.
Yet falling two goals behind seem to spark something more in Brighton. There was a warning sign just over an hour in when Seike opened up her body on the left side of the box and saw a curling right-footed shot rebound off the far post. Soon after, the Seagulls had one back. Kirby made the run off the shoulder and was found by Marisa Olislagers, keeping her cool to finish beyond Tullis-Joyce.
United's efforts to hit back began when substitute Fridolina Rolfo saw a goalbound shot deflected just wide – bizarrely, the officials missed the crucial touch from a defender and signalled a goal-kick.
Having introduced Rolfo, Blundell and Simi Awujo with an hour played, Marc Skinner made the last of his changes with just over 10 minutes to go in a bid to maintain the energy level – putting Gabby George and Naalsund into the mix. But Nnadozie kept the deficit at just one, keeping her eye on a deflected Park shot and later acrobatically tipping a Terland header over the bar.
The crucial third goal came from a powerful low Naalsund strike that was ultimately responsible for wrapping up maximum points. Again, Park played a big role, resisting the urge to whip the ball into the box, having the intelligence and awareness to pull the ball back to Lisa in space to fire in.
That restored the two-goal cushion and was made even more important when Seike cleverly chipped Tullis-Joyce in stoppage time to reduce the lead a second time. But the Reds managed to ride out the last-ditch pressure to take a hard-fought victory back north.
MATCH DETAILS
Brighton: Nnadozie; Minami, Hayes (Noordam 82), Rule, Olislagers; Seike, Symonds (c), Cankovic, Kafaji (Mpome 46); Kirby; Camacho (McLauchlan 62).
Subs not used: Baggaley, Auee, Carabali, Heron, Tsunoda, Martin.
Goals: Kirby 68, Seike 90+2.
United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere (Blundell 60), Le Tissier (c), Janssen, Sandberg (George 77); Zigiotti (Naalsund 77), Miyazawa; Park, Toone (Awujo 59), Malard (Rolfo 59); Terland.
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Williams.
Goals: Terland 45, Park 58, Naalsund 89.
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