Brighton 2-6 Aston Villa

Aston Villa Women were in ruthless mood on Sunday as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 6-2 at Broadfield Stadium.

Jordan Nobbs headlined the afternoon with a sublime hat-trick, while Lucy Staniforth also bagged her first goal for the club.

Kirsty Hanson scored her fourth of the season and Rachel Daly continued her golden boot charge.

The results sees Villa move into fifth place going into the final international break of the season.

Carla Ward named an unchanged side that was frustrated by the Seagulls just last weekend.

Meanwhile, Evie Rabjohn was welcomed back into the matchday squad for the first time this year.

While Villa started last weekend’s encounter the quicker of the two sides, there was no doubt that Brighton were in the driver’s seat early on this time around.

Zigiotti Olme, fresh from netting the equaliser last week, nodded post a helpless Hannah Hampton to give Jens Scheuer’s side a lead inside three minutes.

Villa looked rattled and weren’t far away from falling further behind a few moments later when Lee Geum-min fired wide from outside the area.

Ward’s side regained their composure and found themselves with a lead before 18 minutes had been played.

Staniforth scored her first goal for the club, heading in from a corner.

And just seconds later, Hanson converted from close range to completely turn the game on its head.

All of a sudden, Villa were running riot.

Hanson turned provider as she cut the ball back from the left-hand side, leaving Nobbs to join Staniforth in scoring her first goal in claret & blue.

Villa looked threatening with every attack, and Kenza Dali shot narrowly wide from long range with half-time looming.

That threat translated into two further goals before the referee’s whistle.

Daly got in on the act when she tapped into an empty net following Hanson’s square ball, before Nobbs quickly doubled her own tally in Villa colours.

Ward will have been unhappy, however, with the way in which her team started the second half.

Having given away a penalty, Danielle Carter snuck a spot-kick beyond Hampton to give the hosts a lifeline on 49 minutes.

Rachel Corsie entered the fray with half an hour remaining as Villa looked to put a stop to any further goals into their own net.

The goals continued to flow at the other end, though.

Nobbs completed her hat-trick in emphatic fashion on 69 minutes, unleashing a rocket from distance that flew into the top corner.

The result represents Villa's highest-scoring game since our return to the top flight and will put the team in confident mood ahead of their return in March.