Chelsea 2-2 West Ham United women's team
Barclays Women's Super League, Kingsmeadow, Sunday 30 March, 4.30pm BST
A Shekiera Martinez brace helped West Ham United women’s team deservedly grab a late 2-2 draw at Barclays Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea.
After strikes from Maika Hamano and Aggie Beever-Jones gave Chelsea the upper hand, the Germany U23 halved the deficit before the break, as she finished calmly when put through on goal by Riko Ueki.
The Hammers fought throughout the second half to find an equaliser, and after coming close through Verena Hanshaw’s venomous strike from range, Martinez popped up at the back post in second-half stoppage time to earn the Irons a valuable point in the London derby.
Buoyed by their UEFA Women’s Champions League victory on Thursday, the hosts started strong, and the Hammers had to weather an early Blues surge. Although they controlled a lot of the ball, the best chance the home side could fashion inside the opening ten minutes was a skewed Sjoeke Nüsken shot into the side- netting.
However, on 16 minutes, Sonia Bompastor’s team did get themselves in front when Ashley Lawrence’s knock-down in the penalty area was volleyed past Kinga Szemik by Hamano.
Unfortunately for West Ham, who found themselves chasing possession, the Blues netted a quick second through Beever-Jones. The England international latched onto Catarina Macario’s lay-off before curling the ball into the bottom-right corner from inside the box.
After the second, the Irons grew into the game slightly, and following a few forays into the Chelsea half, worked their first clear-cut opportunity on the half-hour mark when Shelina Zadorsky headed Viviane Asseyi’s corner straight at Hannah Hampton.
At the other end, Millie Bright headed over from Hamano’s delivery before Zadorsky made a superb goal-saving challenge to deny Macario from point-blank range. Continuing to pile on the pressure, Chelsea could have had a third had the crossbar not come to the Hammers’ rescue when Erin Cuthbert struck from inside the box.
Five minutes before the break, Ueki, making her 50th appearance for the women’s team, had an opportunity after some pin-ball in the penalty area, but her deflected strike was held by Hampton.
Those attacks into Chelsea territory gave Rehanne Skinner’s side life, and their bravery and quick thinking in the final third saw them halve the deficit just before the break. Receiving the ball on the turn in the home team’s half, Ueki, off balance, did so well to pick out Martinez, who remained calm to control with her chest before firing under Hampton.
The two sides could have so easily headed into half-time on level terms had a deflected shot from Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, who replaced Katrina Gorry on 35 minutes, not been gathered by the Chelsea shot-stopper.
Skinner’s Hammers came out with the same mojo that they finished the first and put Chelsea under pressure. First, Kirsty Smith's inviting delivery had to be dealt with by a well-read header from substitute Lucy Bronze before Smith struck straight at Hampton’s near post.
The Blues responded with a curling Nüsken shot that flashed past Szemik’s left-hand post before Hamano teased a delivery that evaded everyone in the penalty area.
But West Ham came forward again and earned a free-kick wide left that caused Chelsea all sorts of problems in the box. Multiple shooting opportunities were crafted in the melee, but the hosts somehow cleared their lines before a white shirt could get a clean contact on the ball.
With 15 minutes remaining, Hampton was called into action to deny Hanshaw what would have been a stunning strike from the edge of the box, with the Chelsea goalkeeper tipping the Austria international’s strike over the bar.
But West Ham didn’t stop there and showed their never-say-die attitude once again to draw level in second-half stoppage time as Smith’s whipped delivery was headed home at the back post by Martinez to earn Skinner’s side a deserved point at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea: Hampton, Lawrence, Bright © (Bronze 46), Björn, Charles, Jean-Francois, Nüsken (Walsh 81), Cuthbert (Kaptein 46), Hamano (Fishel 67), Beever-Jones (James 67), Macario
Subs: Spencer (GK), Baltimore, Kaneryd, Ramírez
Goals: Hamano 16, Beever-Jones 21
Booked: Lawrence
West Ham United: Szemik, Denton (Smith 46), Zadorsky (Paví 73), Tysiak, Mengwen (Nyström 73), Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry © (Brynjarsdóttir 35), Martinez, Asseyi, Ueki (Piubel 73)
Subs: M.Walsh (GK), Sáez, Harries, Ademiluyi
Goals: Martinez 42, 90+1
Booked: Tysiak
Referee: Abigail Byrne
Attendance: TBC
