Women's match report: United 4 Brighton 0
Manchester United Women have maintained our 100 per cent league record with a win against Brighton & Hove Albion.
United recorded a third victory of the league campaign, picking up maximum points from all of our games so far.
Ella Toone scored a brace in the first half, before assisting Leah Galton to send Skinner's side in three goals to the good at the break.
Despite a much improved second-half display from the Seagulls, substitute Adriana Leon dealt the final blow to score United's fourth and send us to the top of the table, pending results elsewhere.
Skinner has been calling on his side to continue our dominant presence in games in the build-up to this match, and the players responded accordingly.
From the off, the Reds were on the front foot and our efforts were rewarded inside the first 15 minutes as Toone opened the scoring. The goal came from a wonderfully curled cross into the box from full-back Ona Batlle, right onto the head of Toone who guided the ball into the bottom corner, leaving Megan Walsh stranded between the sticks.
An injury scare halted Toone's game momentarily, but our no. 7 persevered and became the heartbeat of our performance in the first half.
And it wouldn't be long before she got her, and the Reds', second of the game.
Scintillating football from Skinner's side saw a perfectly weighted through ball from Lucy Staniforth find the feet of Galton, who unselfishly squared the ball across to Toone. Despite the incoming Walsh off her line, our attacking midfielder kept her composure to calmly slot home and double our lead.
The duo of Toone and Galton were involved once again before the break, this time it was the former assisting the latter to extend United's lead. Pressing high allowed us to win the possession back deep into the Seagulls' half, where Toone picked up the ball to play a well-timed pass beyond the backline. Galton was the first to react, and scored our third of the game.
Although a relatively quiet half for Mary Earps in the home goal, she was called upon late on to make a spectacular save and stop Elisabeth Terland from pulling one back for the visitors.
The second half was a different story, as Hope Powell's side returned to the pitch with different instructions.
With three goals to chase, the Seagulls enjoyed large parts of the possession after the break, but struggled to create any clear-cut chances. Jorja Fox found some joy down the wing, but her curling effort on goal was comfortably gathered by Earps.
But for all of Brighton's effort to find a way back into the game, it was United who struck again to put the game completely beyond reach.
Another excellently worked move from Skinner's team saw Millie Turner find Galton with a fantastic over the top ball, with the latter's first touch getting away from her but fortunately falling into the path of Leon.
The second-half substitute hit the ball first time to give United a fourth and score her first goal for the club since joining in the summer.
Rachel Williams, who was also a new recruit in the most recent transfer window, made her debut late on to help see out a third consecutive win for the Reds.
United: Earps; Batlle (Thorisdottir 90), Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell (Thomas 45); Zelem, Staniforth (Ladd 65); Garcia (Leon 65), Toone (Boe Risa 65), Galton; Parris (Williams 81).
Unused subs: Baggaley, Tounkara, Moore.
Goals: Toone 14, 26; Galton 40; Leon 78.
Bookings: Zelem 36.
Brighton: Walsh; Green, Kullberg, Williams; Pattinson (Sarri 45), Robinson, Olme, Fox; Terland, Lee, Carter (Park 71).
Unused subs: Connolly, Bance, Stott, Jarvis, Ferguson, Startup.
Bookings: Green 39; Williams 74.