West Ham United women’s team 3-4 Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Women’s Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 21 January 2024, 6:45pm GMT.
West Ham United women’s team were on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller at Chigwell Construction Stadium, as Tottenham Hotspur ran out 4-3 winners on Sunday evening.
The home side went a goal down early on, as Grace Clinton fired in from the edge of the area after only six minutes. The response from the Hammers was good, as Risa Shimizu slid in and brought them level after a spell of good pressure.
Celin Bizet would put Spurs back ahead just before the break though, as the away side broke away and took advantage of the Irons being without Katrina Gorry on the field of play after treatment.
Spurs’ third was even more controversial, as a player in Blue looked to be impeding the view of Mackenzie Arnold when Clinton found the net with her second.
Likely feeling hard done by, the Hammers rallied, with Asseyi turning in on 63 minutes after confusion between goalkeeper and defender allowed her to tap home.
Then, Amber Tysiak made it all square, heading in superbly after substitute Kristie Mewis had floated a free kick into the area.
In a game that had so many twists and turns, Spurs would land the final blow, with Jessica Naz’s scuffed effort creeping into the bottom corner 15 minutes from time.
Rehanne Skinner made one change to the side that lost out to Chelsea in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup last weekend. Hawa Cissoko returned to the starting XI after serving a one-match suspension, replacing Shelina Zadorsky, who was ineligible to face her parent Club.
The game began with both sides trying to get on top of the blustery conditions that were circling around Chigwell Construction Stadium. It would be the away side that would strike first after only six minutes gone. Clinton found space on the edge of the area and firing into the bottom corner beyond an outstretched Mackenzie Arnold.
Skinner’s side looked to respond immediately, with Riko Ueki seeing a strike from range blocked, and Viviane Asseyi’s header from the resulting corner landed wide of the target.
Asseyi then tested Barbora Votikova for the first time in the match, with the France international’s shot taking a deflection that forced the Spurs No1 into action.
The pressure continued from the home side, and the equaliser would come on 35 minutes. A cross in from the flank from Ueki took a little touch on its way through from Asseyi, and a sliding Shimizu was able to get a feint touch on the ball to steer it home.
Katrina Gorry was industrious during the first half of her home debut, but felt the full force of an Ashleigh Neville challenge, which required her to leave the field for treatment.
Spurs then went up the other end and score clinically, with the impressive Clinton finding Bizet, who took advantage of the extra player that her side had on the pitch at that time and scored their second of the evening just before half time.
England, in truth should have added another before the first half concluded, but she somehow couldn’t turn Olga Ahtinen’s cross on target.
The second half was just three minutes old when Spurs notched their third of the night, again in slightly controversial circumstances. A corner kick was cleared away into the path of Clinton, who’s venomous strike found the back of the net. It looked as though a Spurs player was offside and affecting the vision of goalkeeper Arnold, but after consultation with her assistant, the goal was given by referee Stacey Pearson.
Skinner rolled the dice as she looked for her side to find a way back into the game, with Kristie Mewis coming on for her Hammers debut, alongside Jess Ziu and Anouk Denton. Seconds later, Ueki drove down the line and delivered a cross that caused issue between Votikova and Eveliina Summanen, allowing Asseyi to stab the ball home from range.
Mewis then made her first impact in Claret & Blue, delivering a deep free-kick perfectly onto the head of Amber Tysiak, who steered the fantastic effort away from Votikova and into the net.
But Naz would pull the away side back in front four minutes later, as her shot creeped in the bottom corner, which would ultimately give the north Londoners all three points.
West Ham United: Arnold, Shmizu, Tysiak, Cissoko (Harries 85), Cooke (Denton 60), Smith, Hayashi (Ziu 60), Gorry, Snerle (Mewis 60), Ueki, Asseyi.
Unused Subs: Walsh, O’Hanlon, Stapleton, Ademiluyi, Flannery.
Yellow cards: Ueki 21, Cissoko 25, Gorry 42, Asseyi 87
Goals: Shimizu 35, Asseyi 63, Tysiak 71
Tottenham Hotspur: Voitikova, Turner (Petzelberger 56), Bartip, Clinton, England © (Grant 90+1), Bizet (Vinberg 80), James, Thomas (Naz 56), Ahtinen, Summanen, Neville.
Unused Subs: Heeps, Nilden, Brazil, Graham, Ayane.
Yellow cards: Bartrip 84
Goals: Clinton 6, 48, Bizet 43, Naz 75
Referee: Stacey Pearson
