Brighton v Manchester City: Women’s FA Cup final – live | Women’s FA Cup

Tom Garry

89 min The Manchester City fans give a resounding roar of approval as Alex Greenwood is named as the player of the match.

88 min: Brighton substitution Rebecca Rayner replaces Maisie Symonds.

Vivianne Miedema sprays the icing on the cake. She started the move with a superb pass out to Casparij on the right, then ran 50 yards to meet Casparij’s cross and power a downward header through the diving Nnadozie. A lovely goal, and a poignant moment for Miedema in the context of her mum’s poor health.

85 min: City substitution Laura Coombs, who will retire after this game, replaces the magnificent Bunny Shaw.

84 min The next corner eventually leads to Rose hooking a volley onto the roof of the net. Nnadozie had it covered.

83 min The resulting corner is half cleared, back to the taker Greenwood. She pushes the ball back to Fujino, whose whipped shot is brilliantly saved at the near post by Nnadozie.

82 min Bunny Shaw almost gets her second, and City’s fourth, with a shot that is tipped over by Nnadozie. Superb save, that, the best of the match.

79 min: Double substitution for Brighton Nadine Noordan and Rachel McLauchlan replace Fran Kirby and Marisa Olislagers

Tom Garry

78 min The attendance of 43,917 is a little bit lower than what the organisers had hoped for. It is still the seventh-highest attendance in this competition’s history and almost ten times larger than the turnout this showpiece fixture attracted merely 13 years ago, but a number closer to 50,000 had been anticipated.

77 min: Double substitution for City Sydney Lohmann and Mary Fowler come on for Lauren Hemp and Laura Blindkilde Brown.

77 min The official attendance is 43,917.

76 min Time for a drinks break.

75 min Caspirik leaned into Haley but not with enough force for it to be a clear and obvious error. I’m not even sure it was a foul.

74 min Brighton appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Haley goes down in the area. It’ll be checked by VAR.

71 min: Double substitution for Brighton Maelys Mpome and Rosa Kafaji replace Kiko eike and Charlize Rule.

70 min A terrific cross from Symonds is headed high and wide by the off-balance Vanegas. Brighton have played really well today, whatever the scoreline says.

68 min The scoreline feels really harsh on Brighton, but champions are clinical and City have exemplified that.

Shaw got away from Hayes on the left and slid a low pass into Miedema. She allowed it to run across to Fujino, who skipped back on her left foot and hit a deflected shot past Nnadozie.

Manchester City have done the Double for the first time!

65 min: Chance for City! Greenwood’s outswinging corner from the left is headed across goal and wide by Knapp. Once she got there it was a pretty good chance.

63 min Seike runs at Greenwood and drills a shot from the angle that is held by Yamashita.

62 min: Man City substitutions Aoba Fujino and the great Vivianne Miedema, who has been on compassionate leave, replace Grace Clinton and Kerolin.

60 min Olislagers pings a shot from the edge of the D that is well blocked by the outrushing Blindkilde Brown.

59 min After good play from Clinton, Kerolin shoots tamely at Nnadozie.

57 min Shaw tries a reverse pass to Hemp in the area; Brighton cut it out.

53 min After a good Brighton move, Knack barges Haley to the floor and is booked. Brighton remain bushy-tailed despite the scoreline.

51 min Kerolin beats Vanegas on the right and clips a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Hemp retreives the loose ball, fouling Rule in the process, and shoots just wide. It wouldn’t have counted.

49 min Brighton are up against it but they don’t look a beaten team and have started the second half pretty well. Trouble is City have a two-goal cushion and an extremely competent defence.

48 min “That’s Celtic won the Women’s Scottish Cup btw,” writes James Humphries. “The more things change, etc.”

46 min Peep peep! Brighton get the second half under way.

Half-time reading

Tom Garry

Every player in the Brighton wall seemed to be expecting Kerolin to take that free-kick. Instead, Greenwood’s effort with her left was placed perfectly into the corner and Brighton will be kicking themselves. They’ve been the stronger team for most of the half but they go in at the break 2-0 down. Don’t forget, they were also 2-0 down in their semi-final away against Liverpool…

Brighton have been the better team; City have been the more clinical and lead through goals from Bunny Shaw and Alex Greenwood.

Shaw was fouled in the D by Symonds. After much consideration, Greenwood curled a precise free-kick into the bottom-right corner. I’m not sure about the wall, which left a big gap, and the ball went under the diving Nnadozie, but City are 2-0 up and in control.

Manchester City are on course for their first Double!

45+5 min Hayes loses the ball in a dangerous area to Kerolin, who faffs around on the edge of the area and is eventually dispossessed. That was half a chance for City.

45+1 min There will be seven minutes of added time: drinks break + Yamashita injury + other stuff.

45 min After a neat move from Brighton, Vanegas mishits a shot from the edge of the area that is easily saved by Yamashita.

The goal hasn’t really affected Brighton, who are dominating possession as we approach half-time. They’re such an impressive team.

42 min Brighton probably need half-time to regroup. They’ve been the better team for most of the first half and are certainly not out of this.

They’re also the only team to come from behind to beat or even draw with City this season.

Tom Garry

39 min Brighton momentarily seemed to be asking for a free-kick for a foul on the goalkeeper but I don’t think there was anything wrong with what Shaw did there. She simply outjumps Nnadozie. It was a lethal cross from Greenwood and that’s the first genuine moment of quality from Manchester City.

Hemp collects the ball on the left and finds Greenwood, who swings a typically precise cross to the far post. Nnadozie comes for it but Shaw gets there first to score with a gentle looping header. It’s a goalkeeping error, sad to say, but the next chapter of Bunny Shaw’s City career has begun in style.

Now the scoreline has changed!

37 min Lots of City possession now. The scoreline is the same but the mood of the match has done a 180.

36 min City have woken up. Hemp gets to the byline and picks out Shaw, whose instinctive sidefoot is comfortably saved by Nnadozie.