West Ham United women’s team manager Rehanne Skinner hailed her side’s defensive resilience following their goalless draw at home to Manchester United and was full of praise for Riko Ueki’s display up front in east London.
Keeping a second Barclays Women’s Super League clean sheet in three matches, the Hammers limited their opponents to few clear-cut chances, and a lot of that was down to the immense concentration and work-rate of the backline. Their afternoon was epitomised when Melvine Malard saw an effort blocked with a last-ditch challenge in the penalty area in the dying stages of the contest.
While they frustrated their opponents, which pleased Skinner immensely, West Ham proved a threat up the other end of the pitch and enjoyed the better of the chances as the game drew to a close.
Part of that frontline was No9 Ueki, who had a terrific afternoon at Chigwell Construction Stadium. While she was unable to get on the scoresheet, she showed incredible hold-up and link-up play, combining with fellow attackers Viviane Asseyi, Shekiera Martinez, Manuela Paví and Seraina Piubel. The Japan international also conjured up a number of audacious pieces of trickery, sending some of the Man United players back up the M1 with her quick feet.
The draw means the women’s team are unbeaten in four matches and have lost only once in their last five, having played all of the top-four teams in that run. But the high levels and standards within the team were emphasised when Skinner admitted her team were disappointed to have not taken all three points in east London on Saturday.
We frustrated Manchester United, and could have won the game.
Defensively, I thought we were top today. We were really solid in our performance, really diligent with individual jobs, and everybody stuck to the game plan.
The cohesion of the team today was superb, and I think that frustrated Manchester United. It's made life difficult for them. I think that tells you a lot about the way that the team has played.
In the last ten minutes, I thought we were going to get a goal out of the game as well, to be honest. We definitely looked the better side on an attacking front at that point, and I think that's a fantastic result for us. The players are a bit disappointed they've not won the game.
But still, another point against a team in the top four, which is a fantastic achievement, and another clean sheet at home.
The players went about their defensive responsibilities brilliantly.
If you were to look at the stats, they've had more possession and box entries, things like that.
But what's actually evolved from that is limited, because of the way the players have gone about their marking responsibilities and their defensive roles.
That just shows real quality and also concentration in the team that's really, really difficult to deal with.
Riko’s link-up play was phenomenal.
She's [Ueki] been phenomenal all season. I think some of her touches today were absolutely sublime, and she's made life really difficult for the Man United defenders. Her quality hold-up play, and how she brings other players into the game, is just top quality. I'm delighted with her today.
She's been exceptional all week in training, so I felt this was coming a bit as well. I think when you've got the other forwards working off her as well, Paví, Vivi [Asseyi], Shekiera [Martinez] and Seraina [Piubel], that's led to us getting chances as well.
We want to carry this momentum forward.
We want to make sure we stay consistent. There's always that side where we're delighted with a point, we've kept a clean sheet, but next game we have to be consistent, and we want to make sure we get points out of that, finish with a real strong run of form and carry this momentum on through to the end of the season. But the players have been fantastic.
