West Brom Women make it five in a row - and aiming to top group

Albion Women interim boss Charlie Fripp wants to see his in-form side make a statement by finishing top of their FAWNL Cup group on Sunday.

The Baggies continued their impressive start to the new campaign with a fifth win on the spin on Wednesday night by seeing off Birmingham City PGA at The Hawthorns.

New signing Tara Kirk struck her first goal for the club to add to efforts from Jess Collyer and Taylor Reynolds to earn the hosts victory in the second match of group N.

Fripp - in charge with boss Siobhan Hodgetts-Still on maternity leave - sees rivals Sporting Khalsa visit Albion’s Alexander Stadium (2pm kick-off) and a victory on Sunday afternoon seals top spot in group N of the league cup competition.

“It’s always nice to go through in the cup; the objective is always to win,” Fripp said after beating Blues in the midweek’s rearranged tie.

“It’s our double gameweek, the girls have worked hard across these last two matches, and our mentality is to win on Sunday and get the job done to finish top of the group.”

The Baggies took a 2-0 lead into the half-time break at Blues.

New signings combined for the opening after half hour as striker Kirk’s shot was spilled into the path of Collyer, the summer addition from Loughborough Lightning, turned in the rebound.

An important second arrived on the stroke of half-time as former Birmingham defender Reynolds made it two after a looped cross sailed over the visiting goalkeeper following a surging run.

Fripp’s side made it three on the hour as former Peterborough star Kirk nodded in from a corner. The visitors netted a consolation in the closing stages.

In-form Albion are fifth in Women’s National League North with three wins from five, having started the campaign with two defeats. Following the Khalsa clash they return to league action away to eighth-placed Derby on Sunday week at Don Amott Leisure Group Arena (2pm).

“I couldn’t be prouder of the girls,” added the interim boss. “They continued the winning streak, while the performance wasn’t what we want it to be - we got the job done.

“A win’s a win; sometimes football isn’t nice, and you need to get results in that way. We still score even when we’re not playing at our best, and that says a lot about the group - it’s a credit to them.

“It’s all down to the work that the individuals and the work the staff do. It’s nice to see that even when we aren’t at the best of our abilities, we still manage to turn around results.”