West Ham United Ladies were edged out of the FA Women’s Premier League Plate at the third-round stage on Sunday.
The Hammers lost 3-2 to Keynsham Town in a tie that could have gone either way at Thurrock FC’s Ship Lane ground.
Greg de Carnys’ side led at half-time, but three second-half goals from the visitors rendered Shannon Albuery’s late strike a consolation.
After observing a minute silence for Remembrance Day before kick-off, West Ham started the brighter of the two teams, with Dayna Chong going close to opening the scoring on her 21st birthday, only for her shot to narrowly clear the crossbar.
With Chloe Burr and Katie Bottom to the fore in the midfield, the Hammers continued to hold the upper hand, with Sasha Kelly firing across the face of goal midway through the opening half.
At the other end, West Ham goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan was equal to everything Keynsham threw at her, most of which was created by Keynsham’s former England international Justine Lorton-Radburn.
Three minutes before the break, the hosts went ahead. Forward Whitney Locke was the scorer, latching onto Kelly’s through ball before rounding the goalkeeper and shooting into the empty net.
The second 45 minutes followed a different pattern, though, as the Somerset-based visitors carried a much bigger threat throughout the second half.
Hannah Davies was denied by Chauhan before Govan Cristina dos Santos Alves broke through to equalise five minutes after the break.
Albuery went close to giving the home side the lead for a second time, but it was Keynsham who took control of the tie in the closing stages.
When a free-kick beat Chauhan and hit the underside of the crossbar, Stacey Patterson was first to react, and she stabbed the ball into the net from close range.
With ten minutes remaining, Yasmine Pratt converted Alves’ cutback to put Keynsham two goals clear.
To West Ham’s credit, they fought to the end and went close through Bottom before Albuery broke into the penalty area and clipped the ball in for her first goal for the club.
The home side continued to press, but the visitors managed to hold on until the final whistle and book their place in the quarter-finals.
The Ladies return to action at Ship Lane on Sunday 13 November at 2pm, when they host Cardiff City Ladies in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division.