West Ham United Women 1-2 Aston Villa Women
Barclays Women’s Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 12 March
Goals in each half for the visitors saw West Ham United Women fall to a 1-2 home defeat against Aston Villa Women.
Rachel Daly, who spent half a season on loan with West Ham in 2020, put the away side in front with a long-ranged strike on 34 minutes, before Jordan Nobbs added a second from close range just after the hour mark to put Villa in control.
Viviane Asseyi thought she had halved the deficit with a well-taken finish, only to be ruled offside, but the French forward did grab her sixth Barclays WSL goal of the campaign with a resounding header.
Nonetheless, despite a late, valiant surge, the hosts could not find the needed finish, with Villa leaving Dagenham with all three points.
A third meeting of the season between the two Claret and Blue sides came just two weeks after the most recent, when Villa narrowly edged the Hammers in a penalty shoot-out in Dagenham to progress in the FA Cup.
Former Hammer Daly gave the visitors the lead that day too, and the England international scored the opener on 34 minutes. The attacker capitalised on a defensive error by Grace Fisk to seize possession before firing in a powerful effort into the far corner from outside the area.
Prior to the opener, the best chance of the fixture had gone West Ham’s way, with only a stunning double-Hannah Hampton save denying Paul Konchesky’s side from taking the lead.
A sensational solo run from the left flank by Asseyi ended with the French international surrounded by Villa defenders 20 yards from goal. The forward looked to curl a finish into the far corner, only for Hampton’s hand to tip the strike onto the post.
Amalie Thestrup was in the right place to attempt to follow-up but, somehow, Hampton was able to block the close-range effort away.
Midfielder Nobbs and Kirsty Hanson both went close for Carla Ward’s Villans in the opening half, while Risa Shimizu saw a powerful effort blocked away by a brave Maz Pacheco clearance.
The second half saw the introduction of Dagný Brynjarsdóttir after the captain missed out away to Reading due to injury, with the No10 replacing Lisa Evans in what signalled a change of system for the hosts.
It was Villa who went two goals ahead just after the hour mark. Kirsty Hanson’s bursting run down the flank allowed her to square the ball back towards the six-yard box, from which Nobbs was on hand to slide in the away side’s second.
Izzy Atkinson entered the fray not long after as the Hammers went on the hunt for some much-needed attacking impetus. Emma Snerle almost found the breakthrough; her powerful effort from distance pushing Hampton into another good save.
Daly thought she had her second – and Villa’s third – on 74 minutes, only for her effort to be declared as offside by the linesman, before West Ham’s Asseyi faced the same disappointment just moments later.
However, the No26 was in the right place just minutes later, timing her leap to perfection to meet Brynjarsdóttir cross to head in her sixth goal of the season.
Buoyed on by the deficit being halved, West Ham went on the pish for another goal. Grace Fisk turned an effort into Hampton’s grateful gloves before Brynjarsdóttir lashed over on her left boot.
Despite the chances, it was not enough to complete the fight back, with Villa inflicting defeat on Konchesky’s Hammers.
West Ham United Women: Arnold, Shimizu, Fisk, Cissoko ©, Smith, Parker, Hayashi (Longhurst 76), Snerle, Evans (Brynjarsdottir 46), Asseyi, Thestrup (Atkinson 63)
Subs not used: Hillyerd, Filis, Denton, Cooke, Flannery
Goal: Asseyi 79
Booked: Hayashi 22
Aston Villa Women: Hampton, Mayling, Corsie ©, Lehmann (Gielnik 68), Daly, Dali (Littlejohn 82) (Patten 87), Staniforth, Turner, Hanson, Pacheco, Nobbs (Blindkilde-Brown 69)
Subs not used: Gregory
Goals: Daly 34, Nobbs 62
Booked: Littlejohn 86, Daly 90+5
Referee: James Bell
