Ladies secure thumping pre-season victory

West Ham United Ladies recorded a thumping 16-0 victory over Hertford Town Ladies in their latest pre-season match
West Ham United Ladies ran riot against Hertford Town Ladies in their latest pre-season friendly at Hertingfordbury Park on Sunday afternoon.

With the FA Women’s Premier League South Division season opener now less than a fortnight away, Hammers manager Marc Nurse watched on as his side recorded a dominant 16-0 over their Hertfordshire opponents. 

Nurse named a strong, attacking line-up for the game, with new signings Paige Anderson-James and Shirvae Edwards both joining Emma Sherwood in attack.

Meanwhile, full backs Kayleigh Xidhas and Katie Bottom played a more attacking role on the wings. Captain Stacey Little partnered Danica Revell and a trialist in defence, whilst Jess Parlane was selected between the sticks.

It was evident from the opening whistle that the Hammers were likely to pick up an impressive scoreline due to their strength all over the pitch and within 20 minutes, they had already established a three-goal lead.

Former Millwall Lionesses striker Sherwood netted twice from inside the penalty area after using her skill to beat a number of defenders, before holding midfielder April Bowers smashed in a third for the away side from 30 yards out.

Within the next 12 minutes, West Ham doubled their lead. Sherwood again found time and space inside the Hertford penalty area to secure a 24 minute hat-trick, before fellow ex-Millwall Lionesses forwards Edwards and Anderson-James also got their names on the scoresheet for the Hammers' fifth and sixth.

It was only going to get much worse for the hosts in the run up to half time as Nurse’s side smashed another four goals past a helpless home goalkeeper. Xidhas timed a late run into the penalty area well to meet a right wing cross and volley powerfully into the far corner, before Sherwood notched a fourth goal and Anderson-James was on target twice more for her hat-trick.

Into the second half and it seemed like anything Sherwood could do, Anderson-James could do too. Within seven minutes of the restart, the powerful 17-year-old was perfectly placed on the edge of the box to meet Xidhas’ cross to volley home the Hammers' eleventh of the game.

Nurse then decided to keep the game fresh and introduce a trio of substitutes. Sherwood, Edwards and Anderson-James all made way with nine goals already in the bank between them, giving Lily Mellors, Kerry Stimson and Danni Ritson a chance to get in on the action too.

The Hammers were denied a number of extra goals where their efforts had rebounded off the post and crossbar and just after coming on, Stimson lobbed the home goalkeeper and was denied by the upright, while captain Little thundered a header off the crossbar.

Just after the hour mark, Mellors notched her first goal of the game as she made it 12-0 by meeting a dangerous right wing cross by Revell to head into the top corner of the net.

Play was then stopped for just over ten minutes after Stimson challenged the home goalkeeper for the ball with a slide tackle and unfortunately, the stopper needed extended medical attention for her injuries.

However after the game restarted, the Hammers got back to business and Nurse reintroduced his attacking forward line of Sherwood, Anderson-James and Edwards in place of goalscorers Bowers and Xidhas, along with a trialist.

It was Edwards who then extended the scoreline further with her second goal of the game, before Mellors was again well placed in the box to pick up the scraps and grab her second of the game too.

With the game already deep into injury time, defender Revell fired home an unbelievable effort to get herself a rare place on the scoresheet, with Mellors completing a perfect hat-trick in the 96th minute to take the scoreline to 16-0.

The Hammers now just have two pre-season fixtures left before they kick-off their league campaign away to Coventry United on Sunday 16 August. 

Nurse’s side have arranged to travel to Gillingham Ladies on Wednesday 5 August with kick-off in that game scheduled for 7pm at Gillingham’s Training Ground, before the Ladies close their pre-season fixture list at home to FA Women’s Premier League South West Division One side Shanklin Ladies on Sunday 9 August at 2pm. 

West Ham United Ladies: Parlane, Revell, Little (c), Trialist, Bottom, Xidhas, Bowers, Blanchflower, Edwards, Sherwood, Anderson-James Subs used: Mellors, Stimson, Ritson