Enfield Town 2-11 West Ham United Women
Pre-season Match, Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, Wednesday 27 July 2022
West Ham United Women were ruthless in their latest pre-season outing, as they cruised to an 11-2 victory over Enfield Town on Wednesday evening.
Claudia Walker scored five, Alex Hennessy and Yui Hasegawa weighed in with two goals, Kiera Flannery scored from range and Lisa Evans' cross was turned into the net.
The Irons made the trip to north London for their second pre-season outing ahead of the 2022/23 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign.
Paul Konchesky’s team took their time to feel their way into the game at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium – with Enfield defending firmly from the offset.
Their main source of inspiration in the opening five minutes came from Izzy Atinson, who looked to try and get down the left-hand side at every opportunity.
But it didn’t take them long to open the scoring – Grace Garrad fired a fierce ball into the feet of Walker, with the forward flicking it around the corner for her strike partner, Alex Hennessy to fire in her second goal of pre-season.
Walker had the ball in the back of the net herself two minutes later, but the linesman ruled out her well placed header for offside.
Hasegawa scored a magical goal against Billericay on Saturday – and she was at it again, this time in north London. She picked up the ball 30-yeards from goal and rifled an effort into the top corner - a superb effort from range.
The Hammers were in a rampant mood and added a third when Evans’ cross was diverted into the net by the Enfield Town goalkeeper with only 11 minutes on the clock.
You would have been forgiven for thinking that Konchesky’s team would continue in their free scoring form – but a mistake at the back allowed Enfield to pull a goal back.
Hasegawa was in the mood, and almost added her second of the game after good work from out wide from Lisa Evans – but the Japanese international could only head over from close range.
On 24 minutes, the Irons had their fourth – Grace Fisk drove forward from centre-back and found Walker unmarked in the area – she turned and fired beyond the Towners goalkeeper to increase their advantage.
There was a ten-minute period where the back of the net didn’t bulge that was until Walker sprang the offside trap and fed Hennessy again, who couldn’t miss from four yards out.
Hasegawa was at the heart of everything for Konchesky’s side – and she was set free in behind the Enfield backline, squaring the ball for Walker to fire in her second.
She added a third moments later, before Hennessy fired in her second to make it 7-1 before the break.
The goals continued to flow after half time, with Hasegawa finding the net on the edge of the area.
West Ham supporter was next to get in on the act. After coming off the bench, the midfielder let loose from range and found the back of the net, before kissing the badge.
Walker was in the mood in north London and notched her fourth of the game with an emphatic strike from the edge of the area to make it ten for the Hammers.
Enfield were finding pockets of space on the counter attack, and found the net with a looping ball into the area that went beyond Katie O’Hanlon in the West Ham goal.
Flannery was playing with confidence, and she found Walker with a wonderful ball in behind for her to notch her fifth and Konchesky’s teams’ eleventh of the game.
That would prove to be the final goal in what was a convincing victory for the Hammers in their second pre-season outing.
West Ham United: Hillyerd (O’Hanlon 67), Fisk, Jarvis, Garrad (Houssein 60), Atkinson (Brand 46), Evans, Stringer ©, Houssein (Cairns 46), Hasegawa, Hennessy (Chitole-Porter 46), Walker.
Subs not used: Filis.
