West Ham United women's team ran out comprehensive 7-0 winners against Crystal Palace Women in the FA Women's Continental League Cup at Rush Green on Wednesday evening.
The Hammers had five different scorers on the night and welcomed back Esmee De Graaf and Julia Simic after extended spells out with injury.
It was a bittersweet evening for Matt Beard’s side however, who were left unable to qualify for the knockout-stages due to Reading’s penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in the evening’s other group encounter.
The win sees West Ham finish 3rd in Group D on 10 points, with three wins and a draw from five group games.
West Ham began well at a cold Rush Green stadium and carved out their first chance of the evening in the 10th minute. A slick passing move saw Middag feed De Graaf down the right-hand side and the midfielders driven effort was parried behind well by Gibbon in the Palace goal.
Minutes later and Kiernan came close to opening the scoring for the Irons, more trickery from De Graaf allowed her to beat her marker and pick out Kiernan in the box. The forward fired a first-time half-volley goalward, but the tame effort was easily gathered.
The pressure finally told on the Crystal Palace defence after a quarter of an hour, Baunach’s pinpoint cross picked out Kiernan inside the 6-yard box and the Irish International made no mistake to put West Ham in a deserved lead from close range.
The Irons remained a constant threat after taking the lead and looked to exploit space out wide. Manager Matt Beard’s persistence with the 3-4-3 formation was certainly rewarded by the first-half performance of De Graaf and Leon who got forward at will and were a constant outlet for the West Ham defence.
Crystal Palace however, defended admirably and almost caught the Hammers cold on the counterattack in the 30th minute. Ella Rutherford played Bianca Baptiste through down the right channel, but Hendrix was able to recover and turn the ball behind for a Crystal Palace corner.
The subsequent corner was cleared, and West Ham went back on the search for a second goal, a curling effort from just outside the box from Galabadaraarachchi drifted narrowly wide.
Matt Beard’s side were able to stretch their lead just before the break, a driven Baunach corner found the advancing Vetterlein and the German was able to showcase her aerial prowess once more, heading home for her 2nd goal of the season to put the Hammers in a commanding position.
Just three minutes later and the Irons were further in-front, a high-press saw Dali recover possession on the edge of the Palace box. The midfielder squared to Adriana Leon who slid the ball expertly under the advancing Gibbon to send West Ham into the break three up and in control.
Shortly after the restart and West Ham had their fourth, Dali once again regained possession well in midfield and after a mazy dribble drove her shot high into top right corner past the outstretched reach of Gibbon for the pick of the West Ham goals.
The Hammers continued to put Crystal Palace under immense pressure despite being so far in-front. First Leon’s low effort was thwarted by Gibbon after a surging run before Kiernan’s clever flick was denied only by the post.
Beard will have been pleased by the tireless performance of his team; the Irons retained possession impressively throughout as they returned to winning ways after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
Second-half substitutes Kate Longhurst and Martha Thomas managed to combine for West Ham’s 5th of the evening, Thomas who was introduced after an hour broke forward down the right flank and cut the ball back to Longhurst whose low effort found the corner of the net.
Less than 60 seconds later and Dali had her second of the game, an audacious volley from the French International from edge of the box looped over the helpless Gibbon to give the Irons a 6th.
Longhurst also doubled her tally just two minutes later, more positive attacking-play was rewarded with fan-favourite Longhurst tapping in unchallenged from inside the area.
The introduction of Julia Simic for the last 10 minutes was greeted warmly by the jubilant West Ham fans in attendance. The creative midfielder returned to action exactly 12 months after her last appearance in Claret and Blue.
In added time and Longhurst had a fantastic opportunity to complete a second half hattrick, it wasn’t to be for the midfielder who failed to keep her volley under the bar and 7-0 was how it finished.
West Ham United Women: Moorhouse, Hendrix, Flaherty, Vetterlein, Baunach (Longhurst 46’), Galabadaraarachchi (Thomas 55’), De Graaf, Middag, Leon, Dali (Simic 79’), Kiernan
Subs not used: Brosnan, Redisch Kvamme, Littlejohn, Kiszkis
Goals: Kiernan 15’ Vetterlein 42’ Leon 45’, Longhurst 70’ 74’, Dali 48 71’
Crystal Palace Women: Gibbon, Pepper, Goddard (Stobbs 61’), Baptiste (Mosengo 71’), Georgiou, Mackenzie, L.Rutherford, E.Rutherford, Goddard, Laudat (Khassal 61’), Hurley
Subs not used: Gillett, Johnson, Parker
Attendance: 336
