Paul Konchesky was pleased that his side found a way to beat Leicester City in a scrappy Barclays Women’s Super League contest on Sunday.
Izzy Atkinson came off the bench to score late on to clinch the 1-0 victory, which see’s Konchesky’s side climb up to sixth in the WSL table.
The Hammers had to work hard to get in front, with Leicester arriving at Chigwell Constriction Stadium as a well organised outfit under new manager Willie Kirk.
But Atkinson would eventually carve the Foxes defence open and settle the game in the dying moments.
Whilst the game wasn’t the prettiest affair, the boss was delighted that his team clinched the win and also picked up a valuable clean sheet, their second of the season.
My team found a way to win
It wasn’t the best game, if you like – it was a little bit scrappy out there. But the most important thing is that we come off the pitch with the three points.
My girls showed fantastic desire to keep the ball out of the net at the end, so to get a clean sheet as well is fantastic.
There’s no better feeling than winning it late
I’ll take fifteen more of them! First half I thought we were really good, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. We had some really good chances and I thought we should have come in ahead.
I thought Leicester looked really well drilled – you can see that their manager has had a bit of time to work with them now, and coming into the game we knew it was going to be tough because of that.
The second half wasn’t pretty from our perspective, but we’ve found a way to win and it’s a big bonus to be walking away with three points instead of one.
Izzy came up with a rocket of a goal
I’ve been able to watch it back and it’s a fantastic finish. I thought she’d taken a touch to many but she took it superbly. I’m really pleased for her.
All I ask from my players that don’t start is, can they come into the game and make a positive impact.
Izzy coming on and scoring gives me something to look at going into the Conti Cup game next week. She’s finished the game for us and got us the three points which is brilliant.
As calm as you like! 🔥pic.twitter.com/AisWBE0n71
— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) November 20, 2022
The clean sheet is massive for everyone
It’s not just a good thing for Macca, it’s good for the entire defence. We’re a team that play from the front and we try and press opponents high, so that clean sheet is testament to every player out there for the effort they put in.
It’s always nice to come away with one – and I think this one will build confidence going into our next two matches.
Hopefully the win will build momentum for us
We’re playing in a different competition next, but ultimately, we still want to do well and progress. We’re hoping that we can get a little run together and carry that through until Christmas.
West Ham United Women are back at home on Sunday 27 November when they take on Birmingham City. Get your tickets for the Conti Cup clash by clicking on the graphic below!
