Match reportLate goal denies Liverpool in WSL draw at West Ham
A stoppage-time equaliser held Liverpool FC Women to a 1-1 draw away at West Ham United Women on Sunday afternoon.
Matt Beard’s Reds enjoyed much the better chances at Chigwell Construction Stadium and saw Ceri Holland and Gemma Bonner hit the woodwork either side of half-time.
Marie Höbinger broke the deadlock in the Barclays Women’s Super League clash by finding the bottom corner from the edge of the area on 52 minutes, but Riko Ueki snatched a point for West Ham with seconds remaining.
Liverpool journeyed to the capital determined to respond to the disappointment of last weekend’s Anfield derby defeat against Everton Women.
And that intent was evident in their play, with a dangerous Holland cross just evading Natasha Flint in the box within 60 seconds of kick-off and then Sophie Roman Haug heading wide when found by a corner.
Fuka Nagano went closest yet in minute 24, her sliced left-footer from 20 yards after a partial West Ham clearance pushed away by Mackenzie Arnold.
Another Holland delivery to the far post from the left channel was this time met by Emma Koivisto, but her header across the goal found neither teammate nor net.
Next, Flint could not quite control a pinpoint diagonal pass from Taylor Hinds in front of goal, before the half ended with Holland denied by the crossbar.
The midfielder – a big influence throughout for the Reds – tried her luck with a curling strike that didn’t quite dip enough to miss the woodwork.
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Inches were again the difference four minutes after the restart as Bonner met Höbinger’s corner to the near post from the left and flicked it onto the upright.
But moments later, Liverpool grabbed the opener their play merited.
Holland’s press in the West Ham half forced a turnover of possession and she fed the ball on to Höbinger, who threaded a shot through the legs of Honoka Hayashi and into the bottom left corner.
The Hammers rallied and could have punished Nagano on the hour mark as her pass back towards Rachael Laws was cut out by Viviane Asseyi, who was able to partly round the Reds goalkeeper but then slipped at the vital moment.
Asseyi hooked a free-kick attempt from the left channel wide of the goal and, late on, Liverpool substitute Missy Bo Kearns fired wide of the post from the ‘D’.
Izzy Atkinson was a threat from the bench for West Ham, in added time pulling a cross-shot narrowly wide of the post and drawing a save from Laws soon after.
And the hosts’ burst of late pressure gained a levelling goal five minutes beyond the 90, with a cross from the right bouncing kindly for Ueki to touch in from close range.
TEAM
LFC Women: Laws, Koivisto (Matthews, 70), Clark, Bonner (Parry, 84), Fisk, Hinds, Nagano, Holland, Höbinger (Kearns, 76), Flint (Daniels, 70), Roman H. (Enderby, 84).
Unused subs: Micah, Taylor, Lundgaard, Lawley.
NEXT UP
With an international break ahead, it is two weeks until the Reds next take to the pitch.
They host Leicester City at Prenton Park in the WSL on Sunday November 5, kick-off 2pm GMT.
- Get your tickets for the home clash with Leicester here
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