Katrina Gorry is adapting to life well in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
The 31-year-old midfielder produced another solid performance in only her second game for the Club, but she could not help her side to victory in a frantic 4-3 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening.
On a blustery evening in east London, Gorry was combative as she looked to push her teammates on against their near neighbours. Rehanne Skinner’s team showed resilience to come back from behind twice, with Risa Shimizu, Viviane Asseyi and Amber Tysiak finding the net as the Irons recovered from 1-0 and then 3-1 deficits to level.
However, Jessica Naz would eventually score the winner on 75 minutes, although Gorry went close with a driven strike from distance that clipped the post towards the end of the game.
It has been a busy first two weeks in east London for the Australian midfielder and her family, but she is feeling the support from the Club and her teammates as she settles into live in England.
“We’ve settled in really well,” Gorry told Optus Sports at the full-time whistle. “The first week was a bit exhausting, but the Club has been incredible. They’ve been so accommodating for both me and [daughter] Harper and, as a family, we’re settling in really well.
“We’re enjoying the team environment and we’re excited to keep on achieving things and keep trying to make an impact on the team.”
It was Gorry’s first fixture at Chigwell Construction Stadium, meaning it was her first opportunity to meet the West Ham United faithful.
Her daughter, Harper, joined her at full-time and both were welcomed by the supporters.
“It’s awesome [to have the fans cheering you on],” she enthused. "West Ham has been a Club that I’ve wanted to play for, probably for a couple of years now; to be here is super exciting.
“The fans are what gets us through the games, and I could hear them throughout the whole game, and it made me keep on running and pushing as hard as I can. I’m really excited to be here and thankful for the fans for showing up today.”
Like Kristie Mewis, Gorry was quick to point out the positives the team can take into the coming week, which will see them face Birmingham City in the Continental Tyres League Cup on Wednesday, before heading to Bristol City in the WSL on Sunday.
“Yeah, it’s pretty disappointing, to lose, but there are a lot of positives to take out the game,” she observed. “Obviously, it’s the first home game back where everyone is still getting to know each other with the players coming in. I think we have a special group here, we’re confident, we believe in each other and believe in the process, and I think the game will show it in the weeks to come.
“We’ve got to take the positives from the last two games, we’ve had good performances and I thought we played well tonight, it was just unlucky with the result.”
