Aston Villa centre-back Anita Asante has praised her side’s ‘amazing team effort’ after they secured their first top flight win since 2004 with a 2-0 win at Brighton on Sunday.

After a tight first half, it was Asante who broke the deadlock for the visitors with a superb curling effort from outside the box which nestled brilliantly in the top corner.

And Ramona Petzelberger made sure of the win in stoppage time when she lobbed Megan Walsh after a long punt down field from keeper Lisa Weiß.

"Unbelievable. It was an amazing team effort," Asante said after the game. "Everyone bought into the game-plan and executed it. We deserved the result today.

"It was crucial for us to stay in the game. We made sure, for 45 minutes, we were difficult to penetrate. We wanted to keep it goalless going into half-time so we could carry momentum into the second half."

Asante’s strike was undoubtedly the highlight of the match and was even more impressive given she used her weaker left foot.

But she insists it is something she has been working on and is pleased it has now come off on match day.

"It’s right up there because I’m not known for scoring goals," she added. "I’m absolutely delighted. Maybe it’s a testament to all the left-foot work I’ve been doing."

Next up for Asante’s side is a derby match against Birmingham City at Villa Park on Saturday.