Perfect start for Vidosic in England’s women’s league
Dario Vidosic had told his new charges at Brighton & Hove Albion they should be thinking of winning the title as he embarked upon his first season as a manager in England’s Women’s Super League.
If that seemed rather ambitious for a club that came ninth on the 12-team ladder last year it appears more plausible now after a 4-0 opening day victory.
Brighton swept Everton aside at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium with new Japanese signing Kiko Seike scoring an excellent hat-trick.
England star Fran Kirby, recruited in the summer from Chelsea, scored Albion’s other goal as they made the perfect start.
There was a less happy start to the campaign for Matilda Katrina Gorry.
Captaining West Ham United for the first time she was part of a team beaten 3-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Brighton’s opener came when Seike caught Elise Stenevik in possession after half-an-hour then chipped goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan from 25 yards
After the break Seike added a second with a header from Poppy Pattinson’s cross and, after a Kirby penalty, completed her treble with a superb drive from range after more sloppy defending.
Earlier on Saturday in Manchester, Geyse, Leah Galton and Grace Clinton scored as Hammers, who only won three matches last season, made a worrying start.
Only one team is relegated, and newly-promoted Crystal Palace are the favourites to go down, but West Ham are at risk.
Defending champions Chelsea began with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Friday – with the injured Matildas skipper Sam Kerr in the crowd.
On Sunday their biggest rivals, Arsenal and Manchester City, meet at the Emirates with five Australian internationals likely to feature – Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross (all Arsenal) Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy (City).
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