West Ham United women’s team manager Rehanne Skinner wanted to see an impact from her substitutes when they entered the fray against Crystal Palace on Sunday, and Emma Harries certainly made an impression at the VBS Community Stadium.
The 23-year-old was sent on with 71 minutes played, just after Viviane Asseyi scored a sumptuous fifth goal for the visitors, which came after four Shekiera Martinez goals.
The attacker was determined to get on the scoresheet, and found the back of the net 15 minutes after coming onto the field. Fellow forward Riko Ueki laid the ball off to Harries inside the box, who took two touches before bending a brilliant strike into the far corner - her first-ever WSL goal for West Ham.
Then, four minutes into second-half stoppage time, after Princess Ademiluyi saw her shot saved by Shaw Yanez, the 18-year-old calmly found Harries in space, who rolled the ball into the empty net.
England U23 international Harries ran straight to Ademiluyi, appreciative as she netted the Hammers’ seventh of the afternoon, and she was the first to give the credit to the rest of the side, speaking in her post-match interview.
“I wouldn't be able to score these goals without my teammates. I’m very thankful to them,” said Harries.
“I've got to shout out my bestie Riko [Ueki] for giving me the ball, and I thought P [Princess Ademiluyi] did excellently to give me the ball for the second one.
“I think we [the substitutes that came on] brought energy. That's what we're here to do: come on and change the game, impact the game. I think as a team, at the moment, we're relentless to play against. We're in fantastic form.
“We've got a real togetherness around the group and our aim is to finish as high as possible. So we need the goals to be able to do that, too.
“I absolutely love playing. I think for me, it was just nice to have the freedom to go out and showcase myself. To score two goals today is brilliant in such a short amount of time. It's been a great game for me and the team. I think it just shows how hard we're working and what direction we're going in.
“I think I'll always be ready for my chances and I'm just so thankful that I took them today. It's a lovely feeling scoring goals and I love scoring goals, so I can't complain.”
The win against Palace extended the women’s team’s unbeaten run to five matches, and, having recorded their biggest-ever win in the WSL, they only sit two points off fifth-place Brighton & Hove Albion in the standings.
Harries said: “We're looking at climbing the table, that's ultimately our goal. Winning 7-1 is definitely a great starting point for the last two games out of the season. But like I said, we're playing so well. We're in-form, and it's just a credit and pleasure to play with these girls.
“Rehanne [Skinner] set us up in a gameplan that was really positive going forward, but also managing the threats that they had. I think we executed that so well and as a team, I thought we were brilliant.”
Martinez also got on the scoresheet, as she became the first-ever women’s team player to net four goals in a WSL fixture, and Harries was full of praise for the No19.
“Shekiera’s [Martinez] been brilliant since she's come in,” she said. “All four goals were something different as well, I think that just shows her quality.
“She's a fantastic striker, relentless in front of goal. Some of the passes towards her as well, the assists that people create for her, were just outstanding.”
