Crystal Palace left it late to rescue a valuable point away to Brighton. My Cato’s last minute goal ensure her side would not return home empty-handed, cancelling out an unfortunate first half own goal from Lily Woodham.
The Action
Every game from now until the end of the season will be a proverbial cup final for Crystal Palace as they look to dig themselves out of a hole at the bottom of the table. They travelled to fifth-placed Brighton on Sunday knowing the challenge that awaited them but also that they had come so close to a result in the reverse fixture at Sutton United earlier in the season.
The Seagulls were coming into this one buoyed by victory over Durham in the FA Cup in mid-week. Dario Vidošić made five changes with the return of some of his more experienced players while Melina Loeck retained her place between the sticks. January signings Caitlin Hayes and Nadine Noordam were named amongst the substitutes.
Laura Kaminski, on the other hand, named an unchanged line-up to the team that had suffered late heartbreak at home to Tottenham the previous week. There was a place on the bench for newcomers Clarisa Larisey and Ria Öling while Elise Hughes was named amongst the substitutes as she continues her recovery from an ACL injury suffered at the end of last season.
While Brighton started on top, it was far from a spectacular encounter. The hosts struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, thwarted by the resilience of Palace’s back five. Despite the visitors’ endeavour, however, they found themselves behind in the 18th minute thanks to a horror own goal. Goalkeeper Milla-Maj Majasaari lost concentration as Lily Woodham played a pass back and the ball rolled under her foot and straight into the back of the net to give Brighton the lead.
Half chances followed at both ends of the field before Parris was wiped out just outside the box by an over-zealous Majasaari to give the Seagulls a dangerous free kick. The Palace keeper recovered her pride, however, leaping at full-stretch to keep out the subsequent shot from Jelena Čanković.
A red card for Brighton’s Maisie Symonds for a reckless challenge on Aimee Everett gave the Eagles a real opportunity to get back into the match. For a while, however, they struggled to adapt to playing against 10 and, in fact, Brighton had the best chances of the second half. Palace’s endeavour continued and they dragged themselves back into the game in the 88th minute. My Cato capped off an impressive performance to salvage a valuable point for her side to take back home.
Stand Out Moment
With the clock winding down, Crystal Palace produced a sweeping counter-attack to level the score. From Hayley Nolan to Lexi Potter to Lily Woodham and finally My Cato, the Eagles cut a tiring Brighton apart with the move of the match.
Back ⏭️ Front
My Cato finds the back of the net after an excellent team move from @cpfc_w #BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/EK9jlASQUv
— Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) February 2, 2025
Stand Out Performance
My Cato arrived a Palace last summer as a young player with plenty of excitement surrounding her. In this match, the 22-year-old illustrated exactly why she has been pretty much ever-present in the side ever since. Her vision in the middle of the park allows the Eagles to move from defence to attack with ease while her runs into the box make her a crucial outlet in front of goal.
Quote of the Day
I thought we showed great grit, resilience, and we had the opportunity towards the end because Brighton went down to ten. We showed some flexibility and a real forward-thinking approach. We reacted well to that.
Laura Kaminski, Crystal Palace
Teams
BRIGHTON
Melina Loeck; Rachel McLauchlan, Maria Thórisdóttir, Guro Bergsvand, Poppy Pattinson; Maisie Symonds, Vicky Losada (c); Jelena Čanković; Madison Haley, Nikita Parris, Pauline Bremer
Subs: Sophie Baggaley; Michelle Agyemang; Jorelyn Carabalí; Caitlin Hayes; Nadine Noordam; Marisa Olislagers; Bex Rayner; Charlie Rule; Dejana Stefanović
Manager: Dario Vidošić
CRYSTAL PALACE
Milla-Maj Majasaari; Molly-Mae Sharper, Josie Green, Aimee Everett (c), Hayley Nolan, Lily Woodham; My Cato, Lexi Potter, Mille Gejl; Katie Stengel, Ashleigh Weerden
Subs: Shae Yáñez; Chloe Arthur; Annabel Blanchard; Fliss Gibbons; Elise Hughes; Clarisa Larisey; Abbie Larkin; Katrine Veje; Ria Öling
Manager: Laura Kaminski
