West Ham United Women finally got what they deserved for a performance full of desire, fight, and battle, said boss Paul Konchesky.
Despite a late penalty from Leicester City, it was the Hammers who secured a vital three points at King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon to retain their eighth-place spot in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Sophie Howard’s own goal and Dagny Brynjarsdottir's spot kick on either side of the break saw the Hammers move to an unassailable lead, despite the late goal for the home side in the final minute of stoppage time.
In truth, a league double over Leicester City was everything West Ham deserved from their trip to the Midlands, and means that Konchesky and his side take the momentum of a first win of the calendar year into the season finale against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.
Speaking to West Ham TV after the game, manager Konchesky was full of praise for his team's performance and resiliency...
I am over the moon, especially for my players and my staff.
It has been a long time coming but I think it was fully deserved. We have been in games and we haven’t won. But to pick up three points is massive for us.
I think when you have won games and football matches for a long time you can go under.
But I have a good team, a good group of players, and they work for each other, the staff included. That togetherness is big and that was shown today. We haven’t won for a long time but we stick together and dig points out.
I think the defence were were fantastic, my goalkeeper included.
But for me, it was the whole eleven, the players on the bench as well. It goes a long way being a close group, so whoever plays and whoever is on the side, we are in it together and that goes for everyone.
I am gutted for the players not to keep a clean sheet but it is a massive three points.
That is the feeling we want and hopefully, we can carry that feeling onto next week.
It is massive being able to take three points into a derby against our rivals as well next week.
To take them three points and that morale, that winning feeling, that buzz, to take that into one of our biggest games is massive and hopefully we can continue this winning run on.
When you haven’t won for so long, it’s how you deal with going ahead.
But my players did that, the players that started and the players from the bench too. The resilience and the togetherness was there - and it is a really important three points.
It was always going to be tough but we are over the moon to get the three points.
To beat a good Leicester City team who are fighting for lives and have a manager who has done a fantastic job since he has come in, is something we should be really proud of.
