Tottenham came out on 2-1 winners as Brisbane Road played host to a London derby between two of the league’s struggling sides.
Tottenham had lost three on the bounce in the league, while West Ham came into the match winless in their last 14 in the league, a run stretching back into last season. However, the Hammers knew that victory could lift them above their opponents today in the table and off the bottom of the league.
Tottenham made two changes from the side that lost 5-2 to Chelsea before the international break. Coming into the starting XI was Summer signing from Southampton, Ella Morris for her first start for the club. The young England youth international replaced Swede Amanda Nildén in defence who was missing from the match day squad after picking up an injury away at Chelsea last time out.
Martha Thomas also came into the line up in an attacking change, with Olga Ahtinen dropping to the bench. It was clear that Robert Vilahamn was aware of West Ham’s aerial strength in his team selection.
West Ham, facing their second North London opposition in as many game weeks also made two changes, both in defence. Shannon Cooke and Li Mengwen both dropped out of the starting XI that lost 0-2 to Arsenal, in their place Camila Sáez and Manuela Paví were introduced as West Ham set up when out of possession in a 4-4-2 and when in possession in a 4-2-4 providing more attacking intent than was on show against Arsenal.
The Lineups
TOT: Spencer; Morris, Bartrip, Hunt, Neville, Spence, Summanen, Vinberg, Thomas, England, Naz
WHU: Szemik; Siren, Tysiak, Zadorsky, Sáez, Denton, Gorry, Paví, Piubel, Ueki, Asseyi
The Action
Tottenham started the afternoon brightly and an impressive early run from Matilda Vinberg found the West Ham byeline, before sending a cutback into the feet of Bethany England. The ball ricocheted unfortunately for England, off of her and into Kinga Szemik’s grateful gloves.
Martha Thomas was also lively in the early exchanges, as her dizzying turn completely baffled the Hammers rearguard before the Scot was brought down for a free kick. The ensuing set-piece launched into the box, with the scraps falling to England who gathered herself but was unable to prevent her effort from shaving the top of the crossbar.
West Ham knew coming into this encounter that they would be most dangerous from set-pieces, and Viviane Asseyi’s early corner caused havoc in the Tottenham box. The Lilywhites just managed to clear their lines, but it was a sign of struggles to come.
Both sides played with an intriguing fluidity of their front players Thomas and England were taking turns to play through the middle while the other was out on the right wing. For West Ham it was similar, as Asseyi and Seraina Piubel did the same on the left.
Just prior to a quarter of an hour into the match Jess Naz broke free into the West Ham box, the England international, with her angles closing, fizzed a ball across goal but Amber Tysiak was able to intervene with a smart clearance.
Shortly after it was Sáez who did the necessary from another dangerous ball into the box, this time from Morris, but the pressure on the away side was mounting. But West Ham looked to counter where they could with Zadorsky getting forward on the left but her ball was clipped agonisingly too high above the head of the onrushing Paví.
Tottenham had the ball in the back of the net just prior to the thirty minute mark through England after a delicious touch from Morris by they were denied by the offside flag. Insult would be added to injury after one of those dangerous West Ham set-pieces paid dividends. A wicked ball into the box from Asseyi landed squarely on the Japanese forward Riko Ueki’s forehead who nodded the ball home in off the under side of the crossbar.
West Ham looked to feed off the shock of the crowd, as the ball was played back to Rebecca Spencer and Asseyi stormed in to try to clock down the clearance Spencer, the former Hammer was the coolest head in the ground dummying the pass and recycling possession.
As the first half whistle drew closer, challenges were flying in from both sides, within a three minute spell at the end of the half, Ueki, Neville and Summanen all went in the book. Each side was now playing with the type of passion and commitment that only a derby day can muster and suddenly this London derby was exploding into fireworks of claret, white and blue.
After the break, Tottenham came out with a point to prove, and just four minutes after the restart they were level. After brilliant work from Naz on the right hand side her cut back to Evelina Summanen was dummied by the Finnish midfielder creating all kinds of space for Martha Thomas after the West Ham defence were drawn to the ball and Summanen like moths to a flame. Thomas took a touch and blasted the ball goalwards but Szemik saved well down to her right. The ball was parried only as far as Vinberg whose fierce shot re-bounded off the foot of the near post. Spinning away the ball fell fortuitously to England who tapped it in from just a couple yards out and Spurs were level.
Shortly after gaining parity, Robert Vilahamn’s charges were looking to gain the advantage, attacking again with another shot from Vinberg parried by Szemik. Szemik would be thrust once again into the heart of the action only a few minutes later as Naz’s dangerous ball across the box eluded the Tottenham strikers by a whisker and an overenthusiastic Bethany England bowled over the Polish keeper to the floor.
West Ham countered with another set piece with the ball unconvincingly cleared Oona Siren’s mishit shot bounced to Belgian centre back Tysiak on the edge of the six yard box but her controlled effort was blocked down. The fans swapped chants of support for their sides as the second half settled into more of a rhythm than the first half ever found.
Tottenham came close to taking the lead through a smart header from Clare Hunt that bounced wide and a wonderful feat of close control from Naz to play her way into the box before her effort on goal was held by Szemik. Naz came extremely close to giving Tottenham all three points with just minutes to play when her speculative effort from outside the box came rather closer to finding the net than the travelling West Ham fans enjoyed.
West Ham had threatening moments of their own as the game became stretched. Ueki’s miscued effort from the edge of the box fell awkwardly for Spencer, forced into a save after another wicked Asseyi cross had been met by Zadorsky drawing another save from Spencer.
After good work from Emma Harris on the wing, her blocked shot fell to the feet of Sáez whose brilliant effort on the half volley bounced agonisingly wide for Rehanne Skinner’s side.
Agony was compounded for the West Ham boss shortly after as a horror moment for Amber Tysiak followed. With just moments to play, another dangerous long ball over the top looking for the run of Naz was cleared by Tysiak but over her own goalkeeper and into her own net. Tottenham had a lead they scarcely deserved and held on for all three points.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Viviane Asseyi
Asseyi once again proved that she is one of the division’s finest attacking players. Her set piece delivery was vital to the threat West Ham posed. Her hold up play won West Ham numerous free kick in good positions. Asseyi also tracked back brilliantly on more than one occasion particularly late on when Zadorsky was caught out of position Asseyi’s sliding challenge dispossessed Naz who was bearing down on goal from the right. The only blemish on Asseyi’s afternoon was the yellow card she picked up, only moments later the player who has been fouled the most and done the most fouling of any player in the league was substituted off.
