Albion showed their strength and depth and their set-piece threat as they enjoyed an away win.

The Seagulls were 3-0 victors at ambitious Championship outfit Birmingham City in their opening Conti Cup fixture.

They made eight changes to the XI which started their two league games to date and won the game with goals in the final quarter.

Guro Bergsvand met a corner from Marisa Olislagers with a header for the 70th-minute opener.

Then Maisie Symonds, who has been coming off the bench in the league, expertly bent a free-kick ball around the wall and into the top corner.

Fran Kirby went off the bench to add a late third from Madison Haley’s cross.

Tanzanian striker Aisha Masaka made her debut for the Seagulls as a sub and saw a header saved.

The match also saw England international Nikita Parris make her first start for Albion, who now prepare to meet Aston Villa at the Broadfield Stadium in WSL action on Saturday (12.30pm).

Head coach Dario Vidosic said: “Set-pieces is something we wanted to get better at.

“Defeding set-pieces but also that we score more goals.

“The stuff we have been working on is starting to show on the pitch and we are getting our rewards.”

Albion: Loeck; McLauchlan, Bergsvand (Carabali 78), Auee, Pattinson (Olislagers 63); Cankovic (Bremer 63), Symonds; Haley, Seike (Kirby 63), Parris (Masaka 83); Agyemang. Subs not used: Thorisdottir, Losada, Bruna, Baggaley.