Manchester United 3-0 West Ham United women's team
Barclays Women's Super League, Old Trafford, Saturday 21 September 2024, 12pm BST
West Ham United women's team were on the end of a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on the opening day of the 2024/25 Barclays Women's Super League season.
Rehanne Skinner handed competitive debuts to summer signings Kinga Szemik, Camila Sáez and Li Mengwen from the off at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Hammers had Amber Tysiak to thank for not going a goal down inside the first seven minutes of the match. Leah Galton raced to the byline and delivered a cross that Szemik could only tip onto the bar. Elisabeth Terland headed the rebound goalwards, but Belgian central defender Tysiak was able to head the ball away on the goal line.
Skinner’s side looked solid in the opening 15 minutes, while also threatening on the counter attack. Those in white looked to use the wing-back options to break out and were successful at doing so when Anouk Denton charged forward and Emma Harries had a shot that was well blocked by a back peddling Galton.
Manchester United immediately responded to the threat, and debutant Terland should have perhaps tested Szemik with her stretching effort, but the United forward couldn’t turn the ball goalwards.
The home side went ahead on 28 minutes when Geyse caused issues for Sáez, pinching the ball inside the Hammers’ area and finishing beyond Szemik.
Galton added a second for United when she cut inside from the left, evaded two challenges and fired in just before the half-time whistle sounded.
Kristie Mewis replaced Dagný Brynjarsdóttir in the second half, but again, United were the ones to add to the scoreline. A floated ball into the penalty area found Grace Clinton all on her own inside the area and she steered a header into the bottom corner to make it three.
Captain Katrina Gorry had West Ham’s best chance of the match, but her effort from inside the box flew high over the crossbar after she had seemingly ghosted in unchallenged.
Sáez then had a big opportunity to score from a Mewis set-piece, but her header didn’t test Phallon Tullis-Joyce in the Manchester United goal, and the match ultimately ended in defeat.
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Le Tissier ©, Toone, Clinton (Miyazawa 83), Galton (George 83), Riviere, Naalsund, Janssen (Malard 78), Terland (Williams 78), Turner, Geyse (Bizet 66)
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel (GK), Mannion, Ladd, Awujo
Goals: Geyse 28, Galton 45+3, Clinton 54
West Ham United: Szemik, Denton, Tysiak, Cooke, Sáez, Mengwen (Zadorsky 60), Gorry © (Bergman Lundin 83), Brynjarsdóttir (Mewis 46), Harries (Piubel 60), Ueki, Asseyi (Paví 73)
Subs not used: M.Walsh (GK), Siren, Houssein
Booked: Harries 27
Referee: Cheryl Foster
Skinner: Today’s game was about fine margins
Manager Skinner was understandably frustrated with the scoreline and the goals that were conceded, but she was pleased with the overall impact of the five debutants and said that the chances that were created in the latter stages of the match were encouraging.
“It was a well thought battle throughout the course of the game,” Skinner explained.
“I think there were definitely spells where we were on top and where we gave a good account of ourselves. We had chances towards the end of the match, so today’s game was really about fine margins.
“We’re disappointed with the first goal that we conceded because it’s a foul on Camila [Sáez]. Then for the second and third goals there were opportunities for us to prevent those in and around the box, and we weren’t assertive enough in those moments.
“We had three fantastic chances towards the end, and we need to capitalise on those opportunities when we have them."
She continued: “We’re still settling in a lot of players into the team, and I thought that the players that made their debuts today made a brilliant account of themselves, so I’m pleased with the way that they’ve performed. Some of them have only been with us for a couple of weeks and others are adjusting to the language.
“We’re all very grateful to the fans that travelled up here today, we heard them many times during the match. We’re excited to be back at home and to see our fans again.
“We’ve got three games out of the first four here in the North West, so that home game is really important to us. The fans were able to create a really good atmosphere in games last year, so we’re really looking forward to the game against Liverpool.”
Gorry: I don’t think the scoreline reflects the game
Captain Gorry led the Hammers in the WSL for the first time at Old Trafford, and the No22 had a big opportunity to grab a goal herself in the second half.
She admits that she should have done better with the chance, but that overall that she was proud of the way that the team continued to push at the end of the game against strong opposition.
“I can’t stop thinking about that chance to be honest, it should have gone in the back of the net,” the skipper said.
“To be fair, I don’t think the score reflects the game. We pressed much higher in the second half and won the ball back in good areas and created good chances – now it’s just about putting those away.
"It’s small margins that cost us the goals that we conceded, and there’s things that we need to tighten up on, but I’m proud of the girls. I think the substitutes that came on did really well and we have some good depth in the squad.
"It’s a tough loss,” Gorry continued. “Now we have to move on because it’s the first game of the season and hopefully things will get better for us from here.
“We all can’t wait to be back in front of the fans against Liverpool – bring it on. I’m excited to see the fans, and to have my family there in the stands. All of the team are looking forward to seeing the fans again,” she concluded.
