West Ham United 2–4 Manchester United
By Ben Gilby
Manchester United’s unbeaten start to the Barclays F.A. Super League season continued at Dagenham and Redbridge FC’s Victoria Road ground.
It was, overall another frustrating performance from the Hammers who have now lost their last three FAWSL games and are still searching for their first league win – their solitary point so far coming on the opening day against Tottenham Hotspur.
Matt Beard’s ‘Irons’ were buoyed by the return of Laura Vetterlein, Kate Longhurst and Martha Thomas. Manchester United were hoping to take advantage of the early kick-off to go back to the top of the table, and their boss Casey Stoney make two changes from their 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday as Lotta Okvist and Ella Toone came into the starting eleven.
The Hammers, sporting a pink shirt in aid of Breast Cancer Now, were on the back foot initially as the ball was given away to Tobin Heath. The move progressed and Katie Zelem fired in the first effort of the afternoon but Australian international keeper Mackenzie Arnold pulled off a flying save. Arnold was called into action less than a minute later when she got down low to deny Alessia Russo.
West Ham fashioned their first opportunity on six minutes when Rachel Daly played a ball across to Adriana Leon who ballooned an effort high and wide.
United came close again when Tobin Heath’s shot was blocked by Hammers captain Gilly Flaherty and ran into path of an offside looking Leah Galton whose shot came off Cecile Redisch and the danger was gone. Heath fired wide shortly afterwards after Leon gave the ball away to the American star, but her effort was wide.
The pressure was rewarded on twenty minutes with the opening goal. Heath was not pressured by the home defence and was free to play a high cross to the back post where Zelem met it and played the ball back giving Alessia Russo the easiest of tap ins.
Russo, one of the stand out players, drove through the midfield and played in Tobin Heath on the right who fired it past Arnold from the right hand side just three minutes later.
West Ham were their own worst enemies; too many loose passes and consistently not closing Heath down quick enough was reflected with those two early goals conceded.
The home side fashioned a rare opportunity with eight minutes of the half left. Great skill from Leon, who nutmegged Zelem and then glided past Amy Turner with excellent footwork down her left saw the Canadian international fire a shot just over.
Buoyed by this move, the Hammers got back into the game. A beautiful out swinging cross from Kenza Dali was met with the head of Matildas star Emily van Egmond who nodded it into the bottom corner of the net out of the reach of Mary Earps.
Sadly for the Hammers, all their hard work in getting back into the game was undone just three minutes later. A superb teasing cross from Galton was met by the head of Russo, who directed her effort across Arnold and into the far corner to restore the Red Devils’ two goal buffer at the break.
The home side’s defending continued to cause concern. After fifty-one minutes, Tobin Heath played in Alessia Russo who, in turn threaded a lovely ball through for Ella Toone but her effort went wide of Mackenzie Arnold’s far post.
Leon responded for West Ham down the left hand side of the box and curled a shot that Mary Earps had to push away for a corner.
Chances were few and far between after that. United sent a few opportunities wide. For the ‘Irons’, Alisha Lehmann cut in from the left and curled an effort over the bar.
With seven minutes left, West Ham set up a grand stand finish when Rachel Daly turned Lotte Okvist and sent over what looked like a looping cross, but it sailed over Mary Earps and into the net.
Yet again, West Ham conceded shortly after scoring. This time there were four minutes in between. From Lucy Staniforth’s free kick just in from her left, poor marking allowed substitute Christen Press to nod home her first goal in English football.
There is no doubt that Manchester United deserved the win, but West Ham United coach Matt Beard will be tearing his hair out that every time his side got into the game they immediately threw it away.
Teams: WEST HAM UNITED: Arnold, Redisch, Flaherty, Fisk, Vetterlein, Longhurst, van Egmond, Dali, Leon, Thomas, Daly.
Substitutes: Brosnan (GK – not used), Joel, Cho, Grant, Svitkova, Kiernan (not used), Lehmann, Nor (not used).
Scorers: van Egmond 39, Daly 83.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Earps, A. Turner, McManus, M. Turner, Okvist, Zelem, Toone, Groenen, Heath, Galton, Russo. Substitutes: Ramsey (GK – not used), Smith (not used), Hanson, Ladd, Staniforth, Press, Ross (not used), Sigsworth (not used).
Scorers: Russo 20, 42. Heath 23, Press 87.
Referee: Ryan Atkin.
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