Everton 2-0 West Ham United women's team
Barclays Women's Super League, Walton Hall Park, Sunday 18 February 2024, 1pm GMT.
West Ham United women’s team were beaten late on by Everton, losing 2-0 in their Barclays Women’s Super League clash at Walton Hall Park on Sunday.
It was the Toffees' Italian duo that did the damage with minutes of normal time remaining in the match. First, on 83 minutes, Martina Piemonte rose highest in the box to head beyond Mackenzie Arnold and put her side ahead.
Her countrywoman, Aurora Galli then fired in a spectacular strike three minutes later to send the Irons home empty-handed.
The first opportunity of the match came with six minutes on the clock. A neat ball into the feet of Jess Ziu allowed Katrina Gorry to get a strike away. Her effort flew narrowly wide of Courtney Brosnan’s left-hand post.
A minute later, Viviane Asseyi looked to have got a deft touch on a cross to give the Hammers the advantage, but referee Anthony Backhouse blew his whistle after his assistant had raised his flag for offside earlier in the move.
Up the other end, Lucy Hope tested Arnold with an acrobatic effort after the home side threatened from a corner kick. The Australian international was equal to the effort, holding on to the strike from close range.
The game then went through a period of very little action as both sides battled for control. A nice turn from Heather Payne opened up space and threatened to give the Toffees the lead, but her low cross was cut out by Amber Tysiak.
Just before half time, Riko Ueki went as close as anyone in the opening 45 minutes, with a right footed shot flashing past Brosnan and narrowly wide.
Kristie Mewis replaced Hawa Cissoko at half time, whilst Emma Snerle was introduced soon after as Skinner’s side went in search of the opener. They spent most of the second half in Everton territory but couldn’t trouble Brosnan with anything meaningful.
Just as the game looked as though it was going to fizzle out and end in a stalemate, the home side sneaked in front with seven minutes of normal time remaining. A floated ball into the area found the head of Piemonte, who looped a header over Arnold and into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, and Brian Sørensen’s team had doubled their lead. Galli was afforded space on the edge of the West Ham box, and she arrowed a strike into the top corner to seal the victory for the home side.
Everton: Brosnan, Wheeler, Vanhaevermaet, Hope (Bennison 61), Payne (Dale 89), Finnigan ©, Kuhl (Olesen 89), Galli, Snoeijs (Bissell 74), Madsen (Piemonte 74), Stenevik.
Unused Subs: Hart, Groves, Wilding.
Booked: Finnigan
Goal: Piemonte 83, Galli 86
West Ham United: Arnold ©, Smith, Tysiak, Cissoko (Mewis 46), Zadorsky, Shimizu, Hayashi (Bergman Lundin 80), Gorry, Ziu (Ademiluyi 88), Asseyi, Ueki (Snerle 52).
Unused Subs: Walsh, O’Hanlon, Harries, Denton, Cooke.
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 997
