West Ham beat Everton 2-0 in the Barclay’s Women’s Super League on Sunday afternoon with goals from Shekiera Martinez and Viviane Asseyi securing all three points for the home side. Both West Ham and Everton came into this match with the opportunity to extend the daylight that currently separates them from the foot of the table.
Despite defeat against Chelsea last weekend West Ham bounced back midweek to secure a place in the semi final of the Subway League Cup with victory over Tottenham. The Hammers home form has been largely positive, prior to defeat against the champions they had won three on the bounce at home. Everton on the other hand while improving at home have struggled on the road this season, with their only away points coming at Arsenal and Crystal Palace where they drew both encounters.
West Ham made two three changes from the side that beat Chelsea in the Women’s Super League last week with Camilla Sáez, Shekiera Martinez and Verena Hanshaw in from the start. Hanshaw a January signing announced this week replaced Li Mengwen in the starting line up with Shelina Zadorsky and Kirsty Smith also dropping to the bench.
Kelly Gago came into the Everton starting eleven to make her first start in Everton colours after signing in January from French club FC Nantes. The visitors dropped Justine Vanhaevermaet to the bench as well as Heather Payne who was replaced by Sara Holmgaard.
The Lineups:
WHU: Szemik, Hanshaw, Tysiak, Sáez, Denton, Gorry, Siren, Piubel, Martinez, Ueki, Asseyi
EVE: Brosnan, Holmgaard, Finnigan, Fernández, Hope, Wheeler, Hayashi, Ladd, T. Payne, Snoeijs, Gago
The Action:
Everton made a swift start to the match as Gago flashed her near post header over the bar under a minute in. The Toffees were inches away from taking the lead minutes later, Lucy Hope sent a ball in behind the West Ham defence finding Toni Payne’s brilliant run to to the bye line, once there she lofted a tempting ball into the box evading Kinga Szemik in the West Ham goal but Everton’s Katja Snoeijs was unable to direct the ball home only connecting with it to turn it onto the crossbar where Szemik could catch the return bounce.
The game had begun to resemble a basketball game more so than a football match early on such was its transitional nature and it was West Ham’s turn to threaten. After Oona Siren dispossessed Snoeijs outside Everton’s box she played through Shekiera Martinez whose attempt from a tight angle was parried by Courtney Brosnan at the near post. However there was nothing that could be done to stop the opener from the resulting corner, lifted into the box by Viviane Asseyi, Martinez’s pinpoint header into the top corner gave the home side the lead.
West Ham’s Asseyi seemed in the mood, striking a misplaced pass first time on the edge of the box to almost evade Brosnan. Both side’s settled into a less transitional rhythm as the first half continued. West Ham were beginning to play some flowing football, playing out from the back when under pressure as Everton looked to press them high up the pitch.
With just over ten minutes to play in the first half Everton were beginning to pile on the pressure with West Ham getting players behind the ball with Siren in particular making a couple of impressive blocks. The pressure culminated in a free kick from outside the box viciously struck by Holmgaard but the Danish international’s shot went fizzing over.
New signing Hanshaw was finding space on the counter for the Hammers and was impressing on her debut. Just before the half time whistle blew West Ham were threatening on the other side, after tackling Holmgaard a brilliant darting run into the box from Seraina Piubel was unceremoniously ended by the former sliding in from behind, penalty to West Ham. Asseyi stepped up and fired confidently home 2-0 to West Ham.
The second half began with the introduction of Manchester United loanee Emma Watson in place of Snoejis for Everton. And it was Everton who started the half faster, Honoka Hayashi’s volley early on dipped just over the bar. Toni Payne was working tirelessly to get her side back in the match, she was able to find the bye line a couple of times early in the second half but her dangerous crosses just evaded Everton attackers. West Ham contained their opponents for large parts of the second half with the visitors struggling for goals as they have for much of the season so far the odd pot shot was as good as it got for Everton. West Ham almost made it three when Riko Ueki wrestled clear on goal but for Brosnan to save well with her feet. The Toffees were unable to halt the slide and succumbed to another away defeat.
The result means that West Ham leapfrog Everton in the table up to eighth while the visitors tumble down to tenth. Next up for Everton they face Tottenham in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup before hosting Leicester in the league with the Foxes now now just a point below the Toffees after beating Everton’s Merseyside rivals Liverpool today. For West Ham they face Liverpool twice in the next week once in the FA Cup at home before travelling away to Liverpool in the league next Sunday.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Viviane Asseyi
One of the most reliable forwards in the WSL Asseyi assisted West Ham’s first before netting one of her own from the penalty spot. Consistently she does the job that Rehanne Skinner asks of her, a player worth their weight in gold in the Hammers quest to continue to climb the table and distance themselves from the relegation fight.
