Lisa Evans was pleased that West Ham United Women were able to overcome a tough challenge in their 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup on Sunday.
The Irons booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition for the second time in the Club's history thanks to Evans, who placed her shot beyond Tractor Girls goalkeeper Sarah Quantrill to net the only goal of the tie on 32 minutes.
The National League South side put up a resolute fight against their FA Women's Super League visitors, but ultimately it was Evans and her top-flight teammates who won through to the last-four in the Suffolk sunshine.
“I’m glad that we’ve been able to progress,” Evans told whufc.com. “We know that it was going to be a tough game and the surface here probably added to that, but the important thing is that we got the goal that made sure we’re in the hat for the next round.”
The forward, who joined the Hammers on loan last summer from Arsenal, has been limited to substitute appearances in recent weeks, but started up front alongside Claudia Walker at the Goldstar Ground in Felixstowe.
And the pair combined well during the match, alongside Halle Houssein and Mel Filis in midfield, as they looked to cut open a stubborn Ipswich backline.
It would eventually be Filis that provided the ball in behind for the Scotland international to clip over the advancing Quantrill for the all-important goal, and she was delighted to get on the scoresheet for the second time this season.
“It was great ball in behind from Mel and it opened them up and allowed me to get a shot away,” she recalled. “We weren’t able to create that chance too many times during the game because of how compact they were with their five defenders, so I had to make sure I took the chance when it came.”
The semi-final draw will take place on Monday evening, where they will be one of four teams in the hat alongside fellow WSL clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
“It’s a great achievement for us to have made it to the semi-finals,” Evans continued. “You only have to look at the company that we’re in the draw with, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, three quality sides.
“We’re making really good steps forward as a team and this is just another of those.”
But there is one of those three potential opponents that Evans hopes that the Hammers don’t pull out of the hat...
“I’m really hoping it isn’t Arsenal, because then I won’t be able to play due to being on loan from them!” she said, with a wry smile. "I think I’d take any of the other two teams, especially if we drew them at home where we have been really strong all season.”
The draw for the semi-finals of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup will take place on Monday 21 March 2022, live on the BBC News channel during the Sportsday show, which starts at 6.30pm.
