Leicester 1-0 Brighton: Foxes ease relegation fears with second win of the season

Leicester manager Lydia Bedford said her side's bright start against Brighton was a "statement of intent", with the Foxes securing a 1-0 win that lifted them off the bottom of the WSL table.

The Foxes created the better chances and ultimately deserved their victory.

"I'm really proud at what the girls put in over 90 minutes," said Bedford.

"I think a statement of intent was probably the first two minutes when we got in behind and created a goalscoring opportunity and I think we were able to grow from there.

"It was about being resilient in the second half to keep it at 0-0 and then look to win the game too, so we are really pleased that we managed to take the game to Brighton and managed to nick the goal in the second half."

Brighton had goalkeeper Megan Walsh to thank for keeping it at 0-0 in the first half when she made a scrambled save at full stretch to palm away Abbie McManus' volley.

Moments later, Jessica Sigsworth was played in by a lovely through ball from Freya Gregory, but Inessa Kaagman dispossessed her before she could get a shot off.

The hosts' breakthrough came nine minutes after the break when O'Brien finished well from Sigsworth's lay-off in the area.

Brighton couldn't find any sort of answer, despite substitute Kayleigh Green firing over in the dying moments. They are winless since beating Leicester back in November.

Chances to wrap it up came and went for Leicester, with both Sigsworth and Ashleigh Plumptre failing to double their lead, but they held on in the end.

"From front to back in that last 10 to 15 minutes, Brighton piled on the pressure," added Bedford.

"Sometimes luck has to go your way and I think in those moments it was on our side. There were some great clearances, some big headers, Demi [Lambourne] has come out and punched one too which was really key.

"The fact they were willing to put their bodies on the line for the result shows where they are at as a group."

It is now six successive defeats without scoring for Hope Powell's Brighton, who are slipping down the table.

"We are bitterly disappointed," said Powell.

"We didn't keep the ball well enough in the first half; it was very, very sloppy. In the second half we were better but it wasn't enough and we come away with nothing.

"The players recognise it wasn't good enough. They have to do better and show a little bit of character going into to the next game."