West Ham United women's team 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Barclays Women's Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 16 February 2025, 3pm GMT
West Ham United women’s team returned to winning ways with a scintillating 3-1 victory at home against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
An enthralling first half at Chigwell Construction Stadium saw both teams create an abundance of chances, but it was Shekiera Martinez who put the Hammers ahead, following up on a rebound. However, Nikita Parris cancelled out the opener just three minutes later.
With the game firmly in the balance at half-time, it was Rehanne Skinner’s side that stormed ahead in the second period. Having crafted a number of opportunities, Riko Ueki put West Ham ahead, slotting the ball home from inside the box, and this proved to be the first of two goals in the space of four second-half minutes, as Viviane Asseyi made it three from the spot having been brought down in the area.
Goalkeepers Kinga Szemik and Melina Loeck were called into action a number of times, with the pick of the saves coming from West Ham’s Poland international, who made a brilliant reflex stop to deny Jelena Čanković putting Brighton ahead in the first half.
The result means the women’s team head into the international break in perfect fashion, as the three points takes them up to eighth in the Barclays Women’s Super League standings.
Skinner said her side were re-energised after eleven days without a game, and they certainly showed that in a manic opening 15 minutes in east London. Ueki latched onto Martinez’s intelligent pass before delivering a teasing low ball at the byline, but no-one was able to stab it home.
The visitors responded, and it looked for all the world that they were going to break the deadlock when Nadine Noordam squared the ball to an unmarked Madison Haley. But when the winger struck from just a few yards out, goalkeeper Szemik was there to make a stunning save and turn the ball behind for a corner.
An end-to-end contest further grew in intensity as Manuela Paví showed great trickery to hit the byline before teeing up Ueki, who smashed an effort at the palms of Loeck from inside the penalty area.
The Hammers kept applying the pressure and were eventually rewarded for their lightning-fast start to proceedings. The Brighton shot-stopper had to be called upon again, this time parrying away Ueki’s diving header, but Martinez was in the right place at the right time to slide the ball home and give Skinner’s side a deserved advantage.
However, the away side hit back almost instantly as Parris swept home Rachel McLauchlan’s right-wing cross with 14 minutes on the clock. Brighton were then awarded a free-kick far on the right-hand side, and when the Hammers half cleared their lines, Szemik came to West Ham’s rescue again - beating away Guro Bergsvand’s low volley.
First-half chances continued to flow at Chigwell Construction Stadium. First, Katrina Gorry sent a low volley just wide of Loeck’s right post before Noordam’s close-range strike was blocked well by the Hammers backline.
The contest refused to die down as Paví latched onto Verena Hanshaw’s teasing left-footed delivery with a superb header, but it landed agonisingly wide of the far post. Then, Szemik again denied Brighton a second goal as she made a superb one-handed stop to tip Čanković’s close-range effort over the bar.
There was still time for one more gilt-edged opportunity before the break, and not a single person inside Chigwell Construction Stadium could believe the Hammers hadn’t taken the lead. Just before the fourth official indicated two minutes added time, Paví rounded Loeck and then sent a low shot against the inside of the right post. The ball took an age as it rolled across the line, and half of the stadium had already started celebrating, but it somehow stayed out.
The goalkeepers continued to steal the show at the beginning of the second half, with Szemik again thwarting Brighton, this time palming away Kiko Seike’s strike across goal from inside the box.
Skinner was first to turn to the bench, introducing Seraina Piubel for Martinez, and the substitute made an instant impact, going close on two occasions, but her strikes were wide of the mark.
It felt like the momentum had shifted in West Ham’s favour, and after another few half-chances, they restored their advantage through Ueki. Brighton were the makers of their own downfall, as Bergsvand gifted possession to the Japan international, who remained calm to slot the ball past Loeck.
That proved to be the first of two quick-fire goals as four minutes later, Asseyi was barged over in the penalty area, leaving referee Stacey Pearson no choice but to point to the spot. Like against the Toffees in January, it was the France international who claimed the ball, and she made no mistake from the spot, sending Loeck the wrong way.
The home side almost added a fourth in second-half stoppage time when Oona Siren’s strike from the edge of the box was held by Loeck, but the hard work was already done, as Skinner’s side claimed another three points at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
West Ham United: Szemik, Smith, Nyström, Zadorsky, Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry, Paví (Harries 70), Martinez (Piubel 59), Asseyi, Ueki (Brynjarsdóttir 88)
Subs not used: Walsh (GK), Sáez, Denton, Bergman Lundin, Houssein, Ademiluyi
Goals: Martinez 11, Ueki 64, Asseyi 68 (pen)
Booked: Hanshaw
Brighton & Hove Albion: Loeck, Pattinson, Bergsvand (Carabalí 72), Losada (Stefanović 72), Parris, Čanković (Kirby 73), Seike (Bremer 73), Hayes, Noordam, Haley (Rayner 83), McLauchlan
Subs not used: Baggaley (GK), Olislagers, Agyemang
Goal: Parris 14
Booked: Losada, McLauchlan
Referee: Stacey Pearson
Attendance: 1,460
