Leicester City 5-2 West Ham United women’s team
Perth International Football Cup third-place play-off, HBF Park, Sunday 1 September 2024, 2.05pm AWST
West Ham United women's team ended their tour of Western Australia with a 5-2 defeat to Leicester City in the Perth International Football Cup third-place play-off on Sunday afternoon.
Rehanne Skinner made four changes to the side that narrowly lost out to PSG earlier on their ten-day trip. Katrina Gorry was absent due to injury, and was replaced by Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, while Amber Tysiak, Marika Bergman Lundin and Ruby Doe also came into the starting XI.
The match began with the Hammers kicking from right to left, and they started out on top, dominating the play in the very early stages as they looked to edge their noses in front.
However, the control that Skinner’s side had established took a hit when Camila Sáez was caught on the ball as she tried to play out. Noemie Mouchon pounced on the mistake and squared the ball across for Yuka Momiki to stab the ball home and give the Foxes an early lead on ten minutes.
Kinga Szemik was then called into action as she denied Leicester on two occasions in quick succession. First, she kept out Asmita Ale’s driven effort, and seconds later she was back up to keep Momiki from grabbing her second, stopping the Japan international from close range.
From then on, the Irons struggled to break down a stubborn opposition defence, though they continued to maintain possession and pen Amandine Miquel's charges inside their own half.
Leicester added a second on 33 minutes. Missy Goodwin worked the ball well down the left and fired in a dangerous ball across goal that was missed by Saez and Szemik, and Sam Tierney was able to ghost in at the back post and convert.
The Foxes were making things difficult for Skinner’s side and were able to add two goals on the counter attack either side of half-time. First, Goodwin slotted home after a neat one-two on the edge of the area. After the referee’s whistle, Mouchon notched the fourth goal of the afternoon.
On 77 minutes, Saori Takarada added her name to the scoresheet with a delicate chip that bounced off the underside of the bar and across the line for 5-0, before Janice Cayman nodded in the rebound to make sure.
There was a fast finish for those in Claret and Blue, as Skinner's substitutes made a meaningful impact. Viviane Asseyi came off the bench and netted two consolation goals late on, but the Hammers ultimately ended their tour of Western Australia with defeat.
Leicester City: Kop © (Leitzig 46), Tierney (Pelgander 46), Howard, Rantala (Bott 60), Mouchon (Nevin 60), Cayman, Ale, Goodwin (Rose 46), Momiki, Mace (Takarada 46), Swaby (Thibaud 46)
Subs not used: Petermann, Kees
Goals: Momiki 10, Tierney 33, Goodwin 42, Mouchon 50, Takarada 77
Booked: Mace 21
West Ham United: Szemik (M. Walsh 64), Tysiak (Cooke 46), Sáez (Denton 46), Zadorsky ©, Smith, Bergman Lundin (S. Walsh 82), Mewis (Houssein 46), Brynjarsdóttir, Harries, Ueki, Doe (Asseyi 46)
Goals: Asseyi 90, 90+4
