West Ham United women's team 2-0 Everton
Barclays Women's Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 26 January 2025, 3pm GMT
A first West Ham United women’s team goal for Shekiera Martinez and a Viviane Asseyi penalty gave the Hammers a deserved victory at Chigwell Construction Stadium, as they scored two unanswered goals to pick up three points against Everton.
Rehanne Skinner’s side were relentless in the first half, lighting up east London with a terrific attacking display, and boasted a two-goal lead at the break.
The game was only ten minutes old when Martinez broke the deadlock, as she headed home Asseyi’s corner, who was then on hand to make it two from 12 yards after Seraina Piubel was fouled in the area late in the first half.
West Ham had to work hard for their clean sheet, though, with debutant Verena Hanshaw and Camila Sáez producing stunning blocks to deny two successive efforts from Katja Snoeijs with the score at 1-0.
The Irons went close to adding a third in the second period through Riko Ueki, but the damage was done in the first half, and the Hammers claimed all three points to leapfrog the Toffees into eighth place in the Barclays Women’s Super League standings.
Despite the result, the visitors almost took the lead on two minutes when Snoeijs’ header bounced into the ground and onto the crossbar, but West Ham responded well - forcing Courtney Brosnan into making two stops to deny low efforts from Sáez and Martinez.
And it was from the corner that followed Martinez’s effort that yielded the opening goal of the game, with the Germany U23 international turning home Asseyi’s inviting delivery with a bullet header at the near post.
The goalscorer, Asseyi, and Ueki were causing havoc for the Everton backline, and their pressing forced the visitors into gifting possession to Asseyi on 19 minutes, who struck first time from the edge of the box, but her right-footed effort deflected narrowly wide.
Not long after, the trio linked up well again, and Ueki’s cut-back was met with an acrobatic volley from Martinez, but her shot rolled into Brosnan’s palms.
Midway through the first period, heroic defending from the Hammers ensured they kept their lead, as both Sáez and Hanshaw put in goal-saving blocks to deny back-to-back Snoeijs volleys from inside the box.
Up the other end, West Ham’s new signing looked to turn provider for Ueki with an incisive floating throughball, and the striker took the pass under her spell with her chest, but was unable to apply the finish, firing over off-balance.
West Ham’s intensity only increased as the first half went on, and Skinner’s side were duly rewarded with a second goal in added time. Piubel hunted down Sara Holmgaard to rob the left-back of possession in her own half, and was then brought down by the defender in the box, leaving referee Adewunmi Soneye no choice but to point to the spot.
It was Asseyi who took on responsibilities from 12 yards, and she made no mistake in sending Brosnan the wrong way with a powerful finish to double the Hammers’ lead at the break.
Everton had to come out on the front foot after the restart if they were to take anything away from east London. Former Hammer Honoka Hayashi’s vicious volley swirled onto the roof of the net at the start of the second period, and then Kelly Gago could only poke Claire Wheeler’s cross wide with an outstretched leg before the hour mark.
That was the best spell of the match for Brian Sørensen’s side, who failed to register a shot on target in the contest, as Skinner turned to Manuela Paví to turn the screw on the second half. Martinez made way for the No11, who departed to a standing ovation from the Claret and Blue supporters.
With an injection of energy in attack, the Hammers searched for a third with Ueki firing low at Brosnan before Paví flashed a ball across the penalty area that narrowly evaded Piubel.
Inside the final ten minutes, it was almost three when Ueki’s near-post effort was beaten away by the Everton shot-stopper, but the hosts cruised to full-time to claim a huge three points in east London!
West Ham United: Szemik, Hanshaw, Sáez, Tysiak, Denton, Siren (Brynjarsdóttir 77), Gorry ©, Asseyi, Ueki, Piubel (Harries 86), Martinez (Paví 67)
Subs not used: M. Walsh (GK), Smith, Zadorsky, Mengwen, Bergman Lundin, Ademiluyi
Goals: Martinez 9, Asseyi 45
Booked: Martinez, Tysiak
Everton: Brosnan, Fernández, Hayashi (Ribadeira 73), Wheeler, Payne, Ladd (Vanhaevermaet 73), Hope (Payne 66), Finnigan, Holmgaard, Snoeijs (Watson 46), Gago (Lawley 66)
Subs not used: Ramsey, Thomas, Olesen
Booked: Payne
Referee: Adewunmi Soneye
Attendance: 1,219
