Liverpool 1-0 West Ham United women's team
Barclays Women's Super League, The Totally Wicked Stadium, Sunday 2 February 2025, 2pm GMT
West Ham United women’s team battled with resilience on Merseyside but unfortunately slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Sunday.
It was former Hammer Leanne Kiernan whose goal was the difference between the two teams, as her flicked effort in the 33rd minute found its way past Irons goalkeeper Kinga Szemik.
Prior to the goal, West Ham had asserted control on the contest, with Viviane Asseyi and Shekiera Martinez both going close with acrobatic and headed efforts respectively.
But the best chance for Rehanne Skinner’s side fell to Riko Ueki right at the death, but she could not turn the ball home from inside the six-yard box in second-half stoppage time.
The game was in need of a spark after a relatively uneventful opening 20 minutes, and Asseyi almost gave West Ham lift off with a spectacular acrobatic effort, but her strike landed on the roof of the net via a bounce into the ground.
Looking to score in back-to-back WSL matches, Martinez was lively in the first half, sending a low effort at Teegan Micah’s goal before flashing a near-post header from a corner just wide of the mark.
However, against the run of play, it was Liverpool who broke the deadlock as Ceri Holland’s low cross was diverted past Szemik with a deft touch from Kiernan midway through the first period.
The hosts went close to doubling their advantage in first-half stoppage time, but Grace Fisk glanced Marie Höbinger’s corner narrowly past the post.
A set-piece examination of the Hammers’ defence was the first clear-cut opportunity Liverpool had in the second period, this time it was Jenna Clark who rose highest, but her towering header bounced wide of Szemik’s right-hand post.
The hosts kept pressing to double their advantage and the crossbar kept the score to 1-0, as Taylor Hinds ghosted in at the back post to sidefoot the ball onto the woodwork.
The Hammers put sustained pressure on their opponents in the second period through a flurry of corners and substitute Princess Ademiluyi, playing her first minutes in Claret and Blue this season, almost connected with Manuela Paví’s delivery, but her volleyed strike was hit into the ground.
This came moments after Ueki guided an effort from the left corner of the penalty area just wide of the top-right corner. The Japan international then had a golden chance to level the contest in the first minute of second-half injury time, but the striker, slightly off balance, struck the ball from close range over the crossbar.
Unfortunately for the Hammers, they were unable to find the all-important equaliser, but will have to take the positives from the performance as they gear up for a Subway® Women’s League Cup semi-final showdown with Chelsea on Wednesday.
Liverpool: Micah, Parry (Daniels 64), Fisk, Clark, Evans, Hinds ©, Kerr (Nagano 75), Höbinger (Bartel 58), Holland, Smith, Kiernan (Román Haug 64)
Subs not used: Laws (GK), Kapocs, Enderby, Bonner, Shaw
Goal: Kiernan 33
Booked: Smith
West Ham United: Szemik, Denton (Smith 52), Nyström, Zadorsky, Hanshaw, Siren (Brynjarsdóttir 68), Gorry ©, Asseyi (Ademiluyi 84), Ueki, Piubel, (Paví 68) Martinez
Subs not used: M. Walsh (GK), Mengwen, Sáez, Bergman Lundin, Harries
Booked: Siren
Referee: Amy Fearn
Attendance: 3,166
