West Ham United 2-4 Chelsea
FA Women's Continental League Cup Quarter-Final
West Ham United bowed out of the 2021/22 FA Women's Continental League Cup with a spirited performance against holders Chelsea at Victoria Road on Wednesday evening.
The final score did not tell the full story of a competitive encounter which saw Olli Harder's Hammers match their high-achieving opponents stride for stride in an impressive first half, going in level thanks to Kateřina Svitková's low rocket after Pernille Harder had given the visitors the lead on the counter-attack.
But despite continuing to create chances at the beginning of the second period, it was Emma Hayes' Chelsea team who raced away with the result, scoring three times from close range within an eight-minute period as Harder completed her hat-trick and Erin Cuthbert made the Blues' advantage unassailable.
There was still reason to cheer for the Hammers, however, as 17-year-old Halle Houssein, just two minutes after coming on for her West Ham debut, slotted home a cross with just her second touch in Claret and Blue, racing away to celebrate her first professional goal.
Bidding to reach the tournament’s last four for just the second time in their history, Olli Harder made three changes to his team from the side who claimed a last-gasp 1-1 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Lucy Parker, Zaneta Wyne and Melisa Filis came into the team in place of Hawa Cissoko (suspended), Emma Snerle and Lisa Evans.
Due to a COVID-affected schedule, the match was Chelsea’s first in over a month, and much like the Hammers at Tottenham on Sunday, they took some time to establish any rhythm, ably disrupted by Harder’s energetic side in Claret and Blue.
It was a fighting spirit personified by West Ham’s Claudia Walker in the No9 role after ten minutes, the forward competing well to hold off four separate Chelsea defenders en route to winning a free-kick for her side on the halfway line.
When the ball went forward, the towering presence of Dagny Brynjarsdottir led to the ball being nodded down invitingly for Walker to shoot on the turn – the first shot of the game – but her low effort was well blocked by Chelsea defender Millie Bright.
It was Chelsea, whoever, who produced the first clear opportunity after 20 minutes, Harder stealing a yard in behind Gilly Flaherty. The Dane, who also scored a hat-trick in the semi-final meeting between these two teams last season, this time drilled her effort across goal – but also high and wide.
Set-pieces were looking to be West Ham’s most profitable route forwards, and another threatening delivery from Svitkova ricocheted around Chelsea’s six-yard area promisingly, but didn’t quite sit for any of the West Ham bodies attacking it with interest.
Yet despite the next chance also falling West Ham’s way from a free-kick – Svitkova’s cross flicked on by Brynjarsdottir and arriving at the feet of defender Lucy Parker with her back to goal – it also led to Chelsea’s first goal of the evening as they nicked the ball away and broke at pace.
With only one defender back on the halfway line, Chelsea broke at breakneck pace, Fran Kirby running clear before squaring for Harder. Six yards out, the No23 clipped the ball neatly over the onrushing Anna Leat, ending the West Ham goalkeeper’s run of three consecutive clean sheets in the competition this season.
The goal bolstered the Blues’ confidence, and they came within inches of doubling their lead moments later as Harder’s fierce low cross was back-heeled goalwards by Kirby. Parker did well to put the forward under pressure, however, and the effort trickled narrowly wide.
But, crucially, it did not discourage Harder’s Hammers, and they had a golden opportunity to equalise on the half-an-hour mark, Mel Filis nodding a deep ball back across goal and Brynjarsdottir poking on the stretch – only for Ann-Katrin Berger to produce a stunning save, scrambling across her goal-line, to keep Chelsea in the lead.
It was a momentary respite for Chelsea, as the Irons claimed a fully-merited equaliser just minutes later.
Svitkova, whose fierce right-footed deliveries from the left wing-back position had troubled Chelsea all night, jinked inside Erin Cuthbert and whipped a simply brilliant curling finish into the far bottom corner, leaving Berger motionless.
It was no less than Harder’s team deserved, having matched their illustrious opposition blow-for-blow in an open and entertaining first half.
Yet reminders of Chelsea’s quality remained, with Jonna Andersson striking the post shortly before half-time with a floated cross which evaded the head of Parker, squirmed away from the foot of Kirby – but still curled just enough to clip the woodwork on its way to rolling out.
Going into half-time level, the Hammers matched that determination with a bright start to the second half, Walker again managing to hold off the challenge of two Chelsea defenders before firing a 25-yard effort which warmed the palms of Berger before being gathered by the shot-stopper.
And the ever-lively Walker continued to pose Chelsea’s backline problems with a clever run and flicked header on the end of Kate Longhurst’s cross, this time nodding wide.
Straight up the other end of the pitch, Longhurst was on hand to make a crucial intervention in front of Kirby after Harder had beaten Flaherty for pace and squared across goal.
Sadly, however, the half-chance spurred Chelsea into life, and they clicked into top gear to take the game away as a contest.
Sophie Ingle met a clipped corner with an accurate side-footed finish, but Leat – full of confidence after an impressive WSL debut at the weekend – replied with an instinctive save at full stretch.
And the 20-year-old New Zealander continued to excel as she raced from her line to beat Cuthbert to an incisive through pass and clear her lines.
Sadly, however, third time was not to prove the charm, as Cuthbert restored Chelsea’s lead with a looping header a moment later which sailed beyond Leat’s reach.
And this time, it gave the encouragement Chelsea needed to pull away, Kirby forcing Leat into a fine low save on the hour mark with a crisp effort inside the box – yet, to the New Zealand keeper’s misfortune, Harder was on hand to tuck home the rebound.
Cuthbert went close again moments later with a deflected low strike, before Harder completed her hat-trick with a smart header back across goal from a ball played deep to the back post.
The game having slipped away as a contest, the Claret and Blue Army were still given cause to cheer as January signing Emma Snerle came off the bench to make her home debut, ten minutes before 17-year-old Halle Houssein made her maiden appearance in Claret and Blue.
And Houssein was involved straight away as she won the ball back inside Chelsea's area before teeing up fellow late substitute Lisa Evans, who screwed an outside-of-the-boot shot high and wide.
The teenager was not deterred, and scored just two minutes after coming on when she side-footed home Evans' ball across the six-yard area, before celebrating joyously in front of her new fanbase.
Although progression was undoubtedly still Chelsea's, the goal from such a bright young prospect was a pertinent reminder of the promising future of this bright, young West Ham Women's team.
This day was not to be the Irons' - but, on this evidence, their day is drawing ever-closer.
West Ham United: Leat; Fisk, Parker, Flaherty (c); Longhurst (Joel 73), Stringer, Wyne (Houssein 81), Svitkova; Brynjarsdottir (Snerle 70), Filis, Walker (Evans 73)
Subs: Moore
Goal: Svitkova 34, Houssein 83
Chelsea: Berger; Carter, Bright, Nouwen (Reiten 66), Cuthbert, Ingle, Charles, Andersson (Abdullina 78), Fleming (Spence 73), Kirby (England 72), Harder
Subs: Mušović, Telford
Goal: Harder 25, 60, 65, Cuthbert 57
Attendance: 615