Reading Women 2-1 West Ham United
Barclays Women's Super League, Select Car Leasing Stadium, Sunday 5 March 2023
West Ham United Women were left to rue a number of missed opportunities after their 2-1 defeat to Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After a first half with Amalie Thestrup and Honoka Hayashi couldn’t convert golden opportunities, Charlie Wellings smashed the ball home on 66 minutes.
Izzy Atkinson came off the bench and laid on an assist for Viviane Asseyi, but it wouldn’t be the final act of the story. On 85 minutes, Rachel Rowe smashed home from the edge of the area, firing in the winner to send the Hammers home with nothing.
Paul Konchesky was forced into making one change from the side that were beaten on penalties by Aston Villa in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup last weekend.
Captain, Dagný Brynjarsdóttir was unavailable due to illness, so Lucy Parker stepped into the starting XI for the first time in the WSL since the end of September. Usually playing at centre-back, the 24-year-old was deployed as a holding midfielder against the Royals, alongside Hayashi and Kate Longhurst.
The game began in a cagey fashion, with the home side pressing the Hammers high up the pitch which forced them into giving up possession on numerous occasions in the opening five minutes as they looked to move forward.
A sloppy pass from Hawa Cissoko almost saw the defender punished, but Wellings saw her effort well blocked by Grace Fisk.
Up the other end, Parker fashioned a chance for Hayashi, with the Japanese international being allowed to swivel and fire a ball that forced Grace Moloney into her first bit of action of the match.
Only a minute later and Thestrup could have been forgiven for thinking her header would nestle in the back of the net, but a great save from Moloney kept the scoreline level.
There was certainly an end-to-end feel about the game, with Reading causing issues on the counterattack, but they were being limited by some solid defensive work by the backline.
Thestrup was a livewire in the first 30 minutes, and a bending run saw her played through by Longhurst. The onrushing Moloney couldn’t beat her to the ball, but the Danish international decided against the chip and instead brought Asseyi into play, but the chance went begging.
The final ball was missing at times from Konchesky’s side, and a stray pass into Hayashi gifted Reading a chance before the break, but Wellings could only fire wide of the target.
Wellings was lively for Reading, cutting in off the left and causing issues for the Hammers backline. She almost opened the scoring just before the half time whistle sounded, but she couldn’t convert from point-blank range.
In the second half, both sides struggled to create chances, whilst they also found it difficult to consistently keep the ball for the long periods.
Reading Skipper Emma Mukandi struck a first-time drive that gave Arnold something to worry about for the first time in the second half, with the Australian tipping the fierce effort over the bar.
And it would be the home side that would make the breakthrough on 65 minutes. The ever-dangerous Wellings raced in behind the Hammers backline before trying to feed Rachel Rowe – the ball was intercepted by Cissoko but it fell kindly for the winger to wrap her foot around the ball and blast it beyond Arnold.
The Hammers rallied, and Konchesky elected to introduce Atkinson from the bench. The winger popped up with an assist in the defeat to Aston Villa and did so against the Royals. A wonderful ball in ran perfectly into the path of Asseyi, who converted to bring the game level.
But it wouldn’t stay level for long, as another searching ball into the area wasn’t dealt with by the Hammers, which allowed Rowe and opportunity to strike first time, with her effort beating Arnold.
The Irons tried with all their might to get an equaliser late on, with Atkinson and Cissoko both having opportunities, whilst Grace Fisk headed onto the post – but they couldn’t find the goal they needed and went home empty handed.
West Ham United: Arnold, Shimizu, Cissoko ©, Fisk, Smith, Parker (Filis 83), Hayashi, Longhurst, Snerle (Atkinson 70), Asseyi, Thestrup (Evans 79).
Subs not used: Hillyerd, Denton, Cooke, Houssein.
Yellow Card: Parker 57
Goal: Asseyi 77
Reading: Moloney, Bryson, Mukandi ©, Evans, Wellings, Eikeland, Harries (Troelsgaard 69), Mayi Kith, Moore, Vanhaevermaet.
Subs not used: Burns, Wade, Hendrix, Caldwell, Meadows-Tuson,
Goals: Wellings 65, Rowe 85
