West Ham United Women 1
Liverpool Women 1
West Ham United Women left it late to pick up a point, with Riko Ueki netting an injury time equaliser in their WSL clash with Liverpool.
The visitors had taken the lead early in the first half when a West Ham attempt to play out from the back gifted possession to Liverpool; who then broke the deadlock through Marie Hobinger.
However, five minutes into injury time the hosts snatched an arguably undeserved leveller with Ueki bundling the ball home from close range to make it 1-1.
Kick-Off
It was the visitors from Merseyside who dominated a mostly quiet opening period in East London.
The Reds' Jenna Clark and Gemma Bonner both had headers from corners go off target before home goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was finally forced into a save after 24 minutes.
The Hammers could only clear as far as Japanese midfielder Fuka Nagano whose fierce low drive had to be parried away by the West Ham skipper.
In first half stoppage time Matt Beard's side went close again with the crossbar keeping the visitors at bay.
Taylor Hinds set-up Ceri Holland on the edge of the box and her curled effort crashed off the upright.
Half Time: West Ham United Women 0-0 Liverpool Women
The second period started how the first had ended with Liverpool being denied by the woodwork.
Five minutes after the restart a Hobinger corner picked out Bonner at the near post and the England international saw her header come back off the crossbar.
The Reds wouldn't be denied however, and two minutes later they broke the deadlock courtesy of some careless play from West Ham.
The Hammers had already had a few scares trying to play out from the back and this time they would be made to pay for their mistakes.
Shannon Cooke gifted the ball to Liverpool's Holland who laid it off to Hobinger and the Austrian drilled home into the bottom corner for her second strike of the season.
It took West Ham until the 74th minute to register a shot with Viviane Asseyi whipping a 20-yard freekick just wide.
Four minutes from time Liverpool really should have sealed the three points through substitute Missy Bo Kearns but the chance went begging.
Another failed attempt to play out from the back by Rehanne Skinner's team saw Cooke gift possession to Holland who slid Kearns in behind but the 22-year-old shanked her effort wide - a missed opportunity she would be left to rue.
Despite being second best for the majority of the game, West Ham did begin to threaten late on with substitute Izzy Atkinson causing some problems for the Liverpool rear guard.
One minute into injury time the Irish winger was played through by Honoka Hayashi but saw her shot across goal go narrowly wide of the far corner.
Then within a minute she would go close again with her attempt from a narrow angle being straight at Rachael Lewis.
However, deep into stoppage time the Hammers finally found an equaliser right at the death.
Five minutes into the six that were added, a Mel Filis cross broke for Ueki with the Japan international scrambling the ball past Lewis from close range for her second goal of the campaign to ensure the game finished level.
Full Time: West Ham United Women 1-1 Liverpool Women
A share of the spoils means both sides finish the day in the same positions that they started in - West Ham in 8th and Liverpool in 6th.
A draw means the Hammers' wait for a league win at the Chigwell Construction Stadium goes on; the London club last won on home turf in the WSL back in November 2022.
On the other hand, a point for Liverpool means they miss out on the opportunity to win back-to-back away games in the league for the first time since October 2021.
Both sides return to action at 3 o'clock next Sunday. West Ham host bottom club Bristol City whilst Liverpool entertain a Leicester City side who beat them in the League Cup 11 days ago.
West Ham: Arnold, Smith, Shimizu, Evans (Atkinson 78'), Ueki, Harries (Filis 46'), Denton (Flannery 84'), Hayashi, Asseyi, Cooke, Cissoko.
Liverpool: Laws, Koivisto (Matthews 70'), Fisk, Nagano, Haug (Enderby 84'), Hinds, Hobinger (Kearns 75'), Clark, Holland, Bonner (Parry 84'), Flint (Daniels 70').
Goals
West Ham: Ueki 90+5'
Liverpool: Hobinger 52'
Yellow Cards:
West Ham: Shimizu 38'
Liverpool: Bonner 73'
ATT: 1,163
By Nathan Williams
Comments
Post a Comment