Technical Timeout

Leicester City 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion (Women’s Super League)

I got back at 11:45pm which I didn’t think was too bad after leaving Hampden Park shortly after 7. The boxing on the radio ensured my drive south would go quickly, well done to Moses Itauma, is he really the real deal?

The clocks have gone back, so I’ve lost an hour as I take the dog for a walk on Sunday morning, the wife has gone to stock up at her monthly Boots shop, I do get chance to at least have a cuppa with her before she’s out for dinner at her mums, and I’m off to Leicester, a much shorter journey today down the A46.

I was there last week, and in all honesty, it was crap, as Rick Passmoor’s side passed more than enough in defeat to Aston Villa, but they failed to create enough shooting opportunities, which is a big issue as the side sit bottom of the league, having scored just nine all season long.

I think they are doomed as I tell my mates to ‘back Brighton’ in the know that Leicester won't score. Albion in mid-table have the likes of Fran Kirby and Japan international Kiko Seike in attack, whilst former Chelsea midfielder Jelena Cankovic also has good pedigree.

It’s a 3pm kick off, so I’m out at 1:30pm, Nottingham to Leicester is little more than 30 minutes drive on a Sunday where traffic is far from bad, I’ve arrived looking for spaces on Brazil Street and Lineker Street (around the old home of Filbert Street) before chancing it below a sign which says ‘No Stopping on Events Days’ on Burnmoor Street.. Is today an event? I wonder. A few hundred people may suggest so. But I don’t think it’s big enough to be classed as one where they would bother sending anyone in hi-vis out to tow my car away.

In fact, god help the tow trucks as I’m suddenly boxed in either side, so without further ado, I jump out the car and leap across the Raw Dykes Road to the King Power Stadium, in drizzle, it’s grey, it’s always bloody grey here, but it’s a convenient club to visit is Leicester, and it pays the rent, which keeps the wife happy.

The Venue

The same teqball table than last week is set up outside as a girl and her dad try desperately badly to play a foot style of table tennis which leads to them running dangerously towards the road more often than not, chasing after the bouncing sphere as it bounces down the tarmac.

There’s all sorts going on, I’ve noticed a sticker swap shop, as kids come out of a tent with their panini albums filled.

It’s brilliant what they do here, but whatever they do it never seems to get enough interest, I walk straight to the turnstiles and the concourse has just one kiosk open in the stand, a cup of tea and a twirl later I’m up to my ‘usual’ seat at the top corner of row Z (MM aisle seat 138), away from the screeching kids and back pack wearing parents, there’s around 500 here in total, the stadium holds 30,000. I suppose the football isn’t that great, which doesn’t help, the side being bottom is hardly appealing, but I do think the women’s game can evolve to bigger and better, even at little old Leicester.

The rain lashes down as the players warm up in the cold, Alisha Lehmann is shooting towards goal with her shorts shorter than most, the pitch in great nick, the stadium is brilliant, but bland, not much going on but blue seats under white roofing, video boards at each end have the players names which I find useful, but other than a couple of Kasabian classics, there seems to be a lack of spark inside the arena.

The Game

Maybe I’m just too negative when it comes to women’s football? Ideally I want my days off on a Sunday, but the wife likes the money, and if I say I don’t enjoy it, I’m probably lying, after all the game is technically very good these days, the coaching second to none, the discipline is as acute as the men’s game, even if the execution is not always on par.

It’s all very nice, as the two teams patiently build up between themselves, Brighton wear a pinkish kind of grey which makes me struggle with their white numbers, Leicester in blue look like a lost cause going forward, they have nothing, in defence they are very good, in midfield they are quite tenacious, but in attack they can’t keep the ball, Alisha Lehmann can finish, but she can’t pass, Hannah Cain can run, but she can’t do it all alone, Shannon O’Brien offers little as the central target girl, Missy Goodwin does little on the left, which is a shame, because I like her.

Sam Tierney is skipper, she played her 150th game last week, and apparently it was her who scored the winning goal that got Leicester promoted to the WSL a couple of seasons back. She’s bloody brilliant, hard working, full of energy, gritty, a proper CDM but is not helped by those in front.

I also like Emma Jansson sitting even deeper beside her, whilst centre half Chantelle Swaby is a really good player, she reads things well and plays with composure, but the fact they have nothing up front, means Leicester can only defend for so long.

Seike rounds the keeper and misses for Brighton, Fran Kirby is pulling strings, but Leicester cling on in what is a drab first half, Janina Leitzig my new nemesis is the Leicester keeper, she went down like she did last week, half way through the half, untouched, for what looks like a technical time out, which only dragged the first 45 on longer, much to my annoyance.

The Score

You feel a goal will soon come as Brighton were dominant in the first half and little more than a few minutes in to the second 45, a really neat move has the Seagulls deservedly ahead, Fran Kirby breaks the lines and threads one through, Rusul Kafaji who’s a really entertaining player, passes to Seike on a plate, she can’t miss.

That goal is the difference, Brighton do attack and probe some further opportunity at times, but Leicester don’t and as the clock slowly trudges towards last orders it all seems inevitable, that the Foxes won’t ever score, and Brighton will gain all three points.

There’s little more to tell you because little more happened, Janina Leitzig was sometimes worked in the home goal, on occasion, whilst Chiamaka Nnadozie in bright Brighton orange, wasn’t worked in the Brighton goal, nearly enough.

By the time the whistle went, I was already running down the steps towards exit, I wasn’t the only one, as some three year old sitting with their family nearby took off before me, the poor girl glad to get out of there, perhaps equally as bored as I was.

The Stars

As mentioned, Leicester do have good players but just not enough in their attacking department for me. Chantelle Swaby is a Jamaican international, a tall defender who works well next to Julie Thibaud. City left back Ashleigh Neville has huge experience in the women’s game, whilst Sam Tierney is perhaps their best most efficient player on the ball, I do keep like what I’m seeing from Liv McLaughlin when she comes off the bench.

For Brighton, much better going forward, it was Fran Kirby their experienced England international who always looked most influential and likely to make something happen. She's good on the ball, picking it up in pockets, probing and passing forward, often taking set plays and swinging corners and free kicks dangerously in, often finding the lively Seike in attack who plays very much off the shoulder of defenders, whilst I was at times enjoying the fun that Rusul Kafaji was having, she is a technical and talented right winger with a trick, who moved to Brighton from Arsenal, just 22 she's already a Swedish international.

The Verdict

Brighton are ok, a good rounded team with attack and defence, they'll be in the WSL next season and I have no doubt they'll be middle of the pack, like they always seem to be (both women and men).

Leicester are not ok, I worry about the club, not just in the women's department, but the men's too, and my concern is that funds aren't being put into either team, and if you don't speculate, you won't ever accumulate.

They will go down this season, whether they come back is a big question, they certainly won't return under their current owners, which is a huge problem for the fans, the staff, the city, I wonder how long the women's team will even keep playing at the King Power, because if it's not cost-effective, it's not going to last forever.

My shout would be, if you live in Leicester, go watch the girls play, but even your hard earned money is spent regularly here on a Sunday afternoon, under the current regime, I doubt it'll make a difference.

The Teams

Leicester City: Janina Leitzig, Sarah Mayling, Julie Thibaud, Chantelle Swaby, Ashleigh Neville, Sam Tierney, Emma Jansson (Olivia McLoughlin 70), Hannah Cain, Alisha Lehmann (Rosella Ayane 86), Missy Goodwin (Noemie Mouchon 70), Shannon O'Brien (Rachel Williams 80).

Brighton & Hove Albion: Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rachel McLauchlan (Marit Auee 89), Caitlin Hayes, Moeka Minami, Marisa Olislagers (Maelys Mpome 73), Maisie Symonds (Nadine Noordam 73), Rusul Kafaji (Olaug Tvedten 89), Fran Kirby, Jelena Cankovic, Madison Haley, Kiko Seike.

3:00pm Kick Off. Sunday 29th March 2026, Leicester City Stadium, Leicester (att 500).