West Ham United Women exited the Vitality Women's FA Cup after a 7-6 penalty shootout defeat by Aston Villa at Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Extra-time and penalties were needed after goals from Rachel Daly and Dagný Brynjarsdóttir had the game level at 1-1 after 120 minutes. Hannah Hampton blasted her penalty into the net, before fellow goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold fired the effort 16th spot-kick of the shootout over the crossbar.
Paul Konchesky’s Hammers had the first chance of the contest in Dagenham. Quick thinking from Risa Shimizu caught the Villa defence off-guard from a throw-in, allowing Honoka Hayashi to slide a ball across for Brynjarsdóttir, but the Iceland international couldn’t beat Hampton with her strike.
More good work followed, this time on the opposite flank, as Kirsty Smith skipped beyond Sarah Mayling and found Hayashi with the cross, but the midfielder did not make clean contact and the chance was spurned.
Carla Ward’s visitors controlled possession but found it difficult to break down the Hammers backline. The duo to do that looked likely to be Jordan Nobbs and Rachel Daly, with the pair looking for one-another at every opportunity.
Former Hammer Maz Pacheco had a shot from distance sail wide, while another ex-West Ham player, Daly, tested Arnold from closer in. The best chance of the first half came from a free-kick, as Danielle Turner smashed a header onto the post, before Arnold made sure that the ball did not cross the line.
In the second half, the Irons were caught out in behind for the first time in the game. Yet another former Hammer, Kenza Dali was afforded time on the edge of the area, and swept a ball across for Daly who had the simplest finish beyond Arnold to open the scoring.
The Irons looked to respond immediately, but Viviane Asseyi could not find Thestrup after some good work out wide. The Danish forward was inches away from tapping home but could not reach the ball across.
The away side were purring, and almost had a second when Kirsty Hanson found space at the back post, only for Hayashi to block her goal-bound shot.
At the other end, Thestrup then went close again, seizing the ball from Danielle Turner, before testing Hampton from an acute angle.
Just when it looked as though it would be the away side who would be advancing in the last eight, Brynjarsdóttir popped up with a vital goal to take the tie to extra time. Substitute Izzy Atkinson broke beyond the Villa backline, before pulling a great ball back for the Iceland international to tap home.
Asseyi had the only chance in the first half of extra-time, heading narrowly wide after a floated ball into the area.
Rachel Corsie then thought she had won it for Villa with seconds remaining, heading the ball in from close range, but the referee deemed the defender to have fouled Arnold.
The game went to penalties, with Grace Fisk and Nobbs both missing to send the shootout to sudden-death.
Atkinson and Shimizu both converted, but after Hampton fired her shot beyond Arnold, her opposite number could not find the target with her effort, and the Hammers exited the competition at the last-16 stage.
West Ham United: Arnold, Shimizu, Cissoko, Fisk, Smith, Longhurst (Flannery 119), Brynjarsdóttir ©, Hayashi (Evans 62), Snerle (Filis 80), Asseyi, Thestrup (Atkinson 73)
Subs not used: Hillyerd (GK), Parker, Denton, Cooke.
Booked: Asseyi 90, Smith 95, Cissoko 105, Longhurst 110, Filis 113.
Goal: Brynjarsdóttir 90+2
Aston Villa: Hampton, Mayling, Corsie, Lehmann (Blindkilde-Brown 67), Daly (Gregory 110), Dali, Staniforth, Turner, Hanson (Gielnik 89), Pacheco, Nobbs
Unused subs: Patten, Rabjohn, Littlejohn
Booked: Corsie 73, Mayling 86
Goal: Daly 50
Attendance: 832
Referee: Lisa Benn
