Manchester United’s final Barclays Women’s Super League home game of 2025/26 ended in a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Progress With Unity Stadium.
With five changes from last weekend’s trip to London against Tottenham Hotspur, there were first starts since recovering from injury for Ella Toone and Anna Sandberg. Days after her summer departure was announced Leah Galton also returned to the squad, for one final time in Leigh.
It was an emotional moment for our no.11 pre-game, with a special presentation made by Marc Skinner, and fans in all four stands on their feet paying tribute to Leah’s efforts over the last eight years.
Even before she came off the bench in the second half, her earworm chant was being sung in tribute, before being serenaded by Leigh’s north terrace on a final lap of honour after the final whistle.
On the pitch, Jelena Cankovic had pounced on a United lapse to give Brighton thee lead towards the end of the first half. But the Reds kept pushing to the end to ensure what has been a historic season wouldn’t draw to a close at home with a defeat. Substitute Lea Schuller’s clinical finish right at the end – her first WSL goal – made sure the points were shared.
FIRST HALF
United began on the front foot and combinations down the left flank between Toone, Sandberg and Fridolina Rolfo caused the visitors problems. But Brighton defended several threatening situations well, including blocked shots from Toone and Hinata Miyazawa, limiting the impact of that early dominance.
The Seagulls responded with their own spell of pressure as the game progressed, engineering a couple of half chances towards the mid-point of the half. Canokovic missed the target from a promising position, before Maya Le Tissier closed down Charlie Rule’s effort.
After a brief lull, the game suddenly picked up again around the half-hour mark, with a pair of important interventions from Brighton stopper Chiamaka Nnadozie. First, the reigning African Goalkeeper of the Year was sharp to grasp the ball at the feet of Rolfo, chasing a through ball after making an intelligent diagnonal run. A few minutes later, Nnadozie made a flying save low to her left, tipping Melvine Malard’s shot, destined for the far bottom corner, wide of the post.
Those contributions proved even more important for Brighton when, shortly afterwards, Cankovic fired Dario Vidosic’s team in front against the run of play. Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s pass out of the box was just out of reach of Miyazawa and Cankovic took advantage, picking up the loose ball close to goal, keeping her composure to round Phallon and finish under pressure from Le Tissier.
Looking for the equaliser, United struck the woodwork in fortuitous fashion before the interval. A cross from Toone near the right-hand byline clipped the bar and bounced over in first-half stoppage time.
SECOND HALF
United continued to be in the ascendancy following the restart and there was an early sight of goal when Jess Park latched onto Malard’s driven diagonal pass. But the resultant left-footed shot from the edge of the box flashed the wrong side of the post.
Jess was involved again moments later, trying to return the favour for Malard. The chipped 10-yard pass between Brighton defenders was anticipated by Nnadozie, who just got there first. Another half-chance soon went the way of Miyazawa, firing high over the bar from 20 yards.
Brighton hadn’t created much since taking the lead, although their threat remained when a sprawling Madison Haley was close to doubling the advantage, unable to stretch far enough to knock a cross fired across the United box into the net.
Into the closing stages, the Reds kept moving the ball into promising positions. But between a few instances of frantic Brighton defending and the final pass or touch not quite falling right from a United perspective, the Seagulls were able to hold onto the lead.
There was huge applause for Galton as she came off the bench to replace Toone for the final 10 minutes – her first appearance since December’s win over Juventus.
Through five minutes of added time, a tiring Brighton looked as though they would hang on for a famous win. But United’s growing pressure eventually broke that resistance. Jayde Riviere had put in a hard shift on the right flank, with one last drive forward rewarded when she found Malard, and Schuller was positioned to fire the latter's low cross firmly past Nnadozie.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier (c), George, Sandberg (Lundkvist 72); Zigiotti (Awujo 73), Miyazawa; Park (Schuller 82), Toone (Galton 82), Rolfo (Wangerheim 64); Malard.
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Turner, Naalsund.
Goal: Schuller 90+4.
Booked: Tullis-Joyce.
Brighton: Nnadozie; Rule (McLauchlan 57), Hayes, Minami, Vanegas; Seike (Camacho 82), Cankovic, Symonds (c), Kafaji (Olislagers 57); Kirby (Noordam 81), Haley.
Subs not used: Baggaley, McEwen, Rayner, Tsunoda, Tvedten.
Goal: Cankovic 39.
Booked: Rule, Cankovic, Haley.
Attendance: 4,067.