Three of West Ham United women’s team’s loanees were in action for their respective temporary clubs at the weekend.
Midfielder Keira Flannery returned to the Sunderland starting XI, as the 19-year-old made her first Barclays Women’s Championship start since September in the side's 2-0 away win to Southampton at St Mary’s.
Flannery, alongside fellow loanee Jessie Stapleton, featured for 90 minutes, as second-half goals from Eleanor Dale and Katie Kitching ensured the Lasses continued their recent resurgence and climbed to fourth in the table.
Dale’s seventh league goal of the season, a well-placed finish into the bottom corner, put the visitors ahead before Kitching slotted home to extend Sunderland's unbeaten away record in all competitions to six games.
Macey Nicholls also made a return to Hashtag United’s starting XI in what was her 50th appearance for the Tags, featuring in the resounding 13-1 victory over Hashtag's own young reserve team in Aveley to book their spot in the BBC Essex Women's Cup semi-finals. Nicholls played her part in the victory, with her shots being saved and converted for two of the Tags' goals.
The Tags are now just two matches away from retaining the trophy they claimed last season, having defeated Billericay Town 7-2 in the final at Chigwell Construction Stadium. The defending champions will discover their semi-final opponents this coming Friday 24 January.
Marnie Morrison and Ellie Moore, who joined Hashtag United on dual-registration terms on Saturday, were both absent from the Tags’ matchday squad.
In Italy, Inès Belloumou was an unused substitute for Lazio, who clinched a 4-0 victory away at Napoli, as an Antonietta Castiello brace along with efforts from Martina Piemonte and Eleonora Goldoni saw Biancocelesti pull clear of the drop zone and put the pressure on their relegation rivals.
