Four of West Ham United women’s team’s loanees were in action for their respective temporary clubs at the weekend.
It was a successful weekend for Shekiera Martinez, who bagged a nine-minute first-half brace in German club SC Freiburg’s 3-0 victory away at Werder Bremen in the Frauen-Bundesliga on Sunday.
Helping her side gain a two-goal advantage before the break, Martinez capitalised on two poor backpasses in the Werder Bremen defence and remained composed when one-on-one with the goalkeeper to take her tally up to five for the campaign.
The third of the afternoon was added seven minutes after half-time when Greta Stegemann turned home Selina Vobian's delivery, as Freiburg, in fifth, closed the gap to fourth-placed Wolfsburg to five points.
Meanwhile, three Hammers loanees were in Adobe Women’s FA Cup action and all progressed to the fourth round of the competition with their respective sides.
Defender Jessie Stapleton played all 90 minutes of Sunderland’s tie, helping her team to a clean sheet in a 4-0 victory at home to Huddersfield Town.
Goals from Libbi McInnes and Mary McAteer saw the Black Cats gain control at the break before Amy Goddard headed home Sunderland’s third.
Keira Flannery came off the bench in the second half and contributed to the host’s fourth of the afternoon, teeing up top-scorer Eleanor Dale to slam the ball home.
Stapleton and Flannery will hope to guide Sunderland through to the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup with a victory at Exeter City next month.
Princess Ademiluyi and Charlton Athletic are also safely through to round five following their 4-0 hammering of visiting Lewes.
The Addicks stormed to a 3-0 lead at the break via a brace from Ellie Brazil, whose goals came either side of Gracie Pearse’s strike. England U19 international Ademiluyi was brought onto the pitch just after the hour mark, and Kayleigh Barton added the home side’s fourth nine minutes later.
The fourth-round draw provided Charlton with a crunch clash at reigning Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, to be played on the weekend of January 12.
Elsewhere, Inès Belloumou was not in Lazio’s squad that suffered late heartbreak at Juventus, who snatched a 3-2 victory in the dying stages of the Serie A contest after the visitors levelled proceedings having fallen two goals down.
And goalkeeper Katelin Talbert was an unused substitute in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 victory over Everton in the WSL, which saw a goal in either half from Bethany England wrap up the three points for the hosts.
Not in action this weekend were Hashtag United and Marnie Morrison, but the defender did help the Tags progress to the semi-finals of the FA Women’s National League Cup on Sunday 1 December, playing the first half of their 4-0 victory at home to Real Bedford.
