Chigwell Construction Stadium was the setting as West Ham United welcomed Leicester City in the Barclays Women’s Super League. The Irons were looking for their first win of the WSL season after an agonising London derby defeat last time out. Leicester themselves were looking to bounce back after a 1-0 defeat to Brighton at the King Power Stadium last weekend.
Amandine Miquel made three changes to the side that lost to Brighton last week, with Deanne Rose, Sam Tierney, Chantelle Swaby falling out of the line up. Tierney is out with an ankle injury after being taken off on a stretcher last week, while both Rose and Swaby dropped to the bench. In their place were Yuka Momiki, Missy Goodwin and Hannah Cain.
Leicester remain without long term injured absentees Noemi Mouchon, Jutta Rantala and goalkeeper Lize Kop.
For West Ham, there was one change as Camila Sáez dropped to the bench and Li Mengwen was restored to the starting XI.
Both teams met in pre-season in Perth, Australia, with Leicester routing the Hammers 5-2. Perhaps more representative of what was to come however is the two sides 1-1 draws last season both home and away. West Ham came into the match winless in 15 league games in the league while Leicester had not won away in eight WSL matches.
The Lineups
WHU: Szemik, Mengwen, Tysiak, Zadorsky, Denton, Gorry, Siren, Paví, Piubel, Ueki, Asseyi
LEI: Leitzig, Nevin, Howard, Kees, Ale, Goodwin, Mace, Cain, Chossenotte, Cayman, Momiki
The Action
West Ham began brightly with Seraina Piubel and Riko Ueki combining well six minutes in on the left hand side of the pitch. Ueki drove to the bye-line before her cross was palmed away by Janina Leitzig and cleared away from danger by the backtracking Momiki. Piubel was causing issues for the away side, some clever play on the break saw her running at the Foxes backline but the move came unstuck by a poor final pass.
Shortly after, West Ham were pushing forward again. Viviane Asseyi found Riko Ueki through on goal, but her shot was stopped by the outstretched leg of Leipzig before the offside flag was raised. Leicester proved they could threaten their opponents goal as well, as a wonderfully weighted through-ball from Courtney Nevin found the run of Hannah Cain. Cain pushed ever so slightly out wide by her first touch, she finessed her effort looking for the opposite corner but the ball whistled past the post.
West Ham began with an intensity their opponents were struggling to match. Riko Ueki in particular was at the heart of everything positive for West Ham. Leicester’s game plan seemed to be largely around attempting a ball in behind to find Cain or trying to draw a foul in the Hammers half. Piubel was fleet of foot showing a number of deft touches and flashes of skill.
Gorry was leading by example and was at her battling best, as she won the ball in the Leicester half with a fierce sliding tackle before playing it Piubel, who, once again bearing down on the Leicester back line helped the ball along to Ueki who was just unable to find Gorry charging into the box and instead found the grateful arms of Leicester’s number one.
Ruby Mace did what she could to wrestle momentum in Leicester’s favour with herself and Gorry enjoying a particularly lively tussle in the middle of the park for control over proceedings.
In added time of the first half, West Ham took the deserved lead as Paví picked up the ball, and with some excellent close control on the right hand side found her way past one Leicester defender before playing a picture perfect through ball in behind to find Asseyi who rounded the keeper and passed it into an empty net.
An interesting call came from the tannoy at half time, asking if there were any qualified referees in the crowd to make themselves known to a steward. Thankfully a solution was found and the second half was able to get underway.
Just after the start of the second half, West Ham should have doubled their lead as a lively run down the wing from Anouk Denton resulted in the ball dropping for Oona Siren in the middle of the box. Her effort on the half-volley was caught once again by Leitzig.
West Ham continued to impress going forward, with Denton showing some wonderful dribbling ability to beat three players before just over-hitting her through ball towards Ueki.
Paví continued to threaten with her chipped effort finding the side netting.
West Ham thought they should have had a penalty when Riko Ueki was put through on goal, before Asmita Ale went to ground but withdrew her foot, Ueki stumbled before rising to her feet and firing a shot on goal caught by the Leicester goalkeeper. No penalty was given, which felt like the correct decision.
Gorry and Asseyi had chances to put the game beyond doubt but failed to capitlaise in the closing stages. Despite this, West Ham held on for a deserved victory against the uninspiring Foxes.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Katrina Gorry
A captain’s performance. The diminutive midfielder from Brisbane set the tone and intensity and was the pivotal cog in the West Ham machine’s drive to a first WSL victory of the season.
