Paige Anderson-James scored a sensational goal from distance in West Ham United Ladies’ 5-0 win over Swindon Town, an effort that left the striker “gobsmacked” and “buzzing”.
Anderson-James scored two second-half goals to help Greg De Carnys’s side claim a much deserved 5-0 victory over Swindon, but it was the forward’s second effort that astounded the attending supporters, her teammates and, by her own admission, herself at Rush Green.
Collecting the ball 25 yards from goal, Anderson-James turned and unleashed a curling rocket that flew past the Swindon goalkeeper and into the top, far corner of the net.
The initial lack of a celebration seemed to suggest Anderson-James’s disbelief that her long-ranged shot had found the net, something that the attacker has now confirmed.
“I had to look twice,” she admitted to whufc.com when asked about her world-class goal: “I didn't realise it had gone in until Amber [Stobbs] jumped on me and pushed me to the floor. I'm so proud of it and I can't wait to watch it back, again and again!
“I was so shocked it went in. I was literally 100 per cent gobsmacked. I'm just delighted with it.”
Anderson-James’s second goal of the match was the stand-out moment in a terrific performance by the home side, who led 2-0 at the interval thanks to efforts from Hannah Wheeler and Molly Peters.
The striker’s first of the game – and West Ham’s third – was a low finish inside the penalty area before she netted her wonder-strike just a few minutes later.
Kelly Wealthall wrapped up a dominant win just after, tucking the ball into the empty net after rounding the Swindon goalkeeper.
Anderson-James added: “I am absolutely buzzing! It's three points in the bag. The girls are thrilled. We couldn't have wished for a better result, to be honest.
I didn't realise it had gone in until Amber [Stobbs] jumped on me and pushed me to the floor. I'm so proud of it and I can't wait to watch it back
Paige Anderson-James
“I'm so happy with how we played, how I played, my goals and the points.”
The Ladies won’t have long to savour this brilliant victory, however, as they return to action on Wednesday evening against league leaders Charlton Athletic, who continued their winning run on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.
And Anderson-James says that she and her teammates are ready for Wednesday’s trip to The Valley already, insisting that Sunday’s win will serve only as further motivation to earn more points.
“This is a major confidence boost,” Anderson-James said: “We're looking at the next game already. Today was three points that we really deserved and now we just want more. All we want is another three points on Wednesday now.
“Right now, everyone is happy. The coaches are happy, we're happy and the fans are happy. But Wednesday is a quick turnaround and we have to be ready. We as players are buzzing to play again so quickly after this result.”