London City Lionesses 1-0 West Ham United women's team
Barclays Women's Super League, Copperjax Community Stadium, Sunday 12 October 2025, 12noon BST
After a tightly-contested battle in Bromley, West Ham United women’s team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at London City Lionesses in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Sunday.
A second-half goal from Kosovare Asllani was the difference between the two teams at Copperjax Community Stadium, but we had our chances to get something from the game.
Rehanne Skinner’s side came closest to finding the net through Viviane Asseyi’s long-range effort that struck the post, but after a battling performance, it ended in defeat in south London.
In the first half, chances were few and far between for both teams. Buoyed by a late winner against Liverpool last time out, the home side started the brighter and London City captain Asllani delivered a string of teasing deliveries in the opening stages.
None of them came to anything of note, though, so the skipper tried her luck from outside the box, but fired her effort over.
We responded to the early spell of pressure positively and came so close to opening the scoring midway through the first period. Asseyi picked up the ball in the middle of London City’s half and let fly from 25 yards out, but her well-struck effort hit Elene Lete’s right post to the agony of the vocal Claret and Blue Army.
After Nikita Parris fired wide and Amber Tysiak headed straight at Lete from a teasing Asseyi cross, the home side had the best opportunity to take the lead four minutes before half-time, as Jana Fernandez skewed over from close range after Isobel Goodwin’s knock-down.
Up the other end in a frantic end to the first 45, Asseyi appeared to be shoved in the back inside the box, but the referee waved away any penalty appeals from the visitors.
Only eight minutes into the second half, Skinner turned to her bench and sent on Seraina Piubel in place of Ffion Morgan. Our No77 was straight into the action down the right, crossing for Asseyi, who prodded narrowly wide at the near post.
Then shortly after Goodwin flashed a header wide, Piubel was involved again, this time receiving a pass from Riko Ueki before seeing her shot well blocked by Elena Linari.
The chances kept coming for the visitors, as Shelina Zadorsky saw a header cleared off the line from Asseyi’s corner before Shekiera Martinez’s near-post effort was well saved.
But after we had London City penned in, they broke the deadlock in the 68th minute when Asllani tackled Kinga Szemik inside her own area, and rolled the ball home into an empty net. Our No1 had to be alert just moments after to get down low to deny Goodwin.
The best chance we had to salvage an equaliser came with four minutes of normal time remaining, when Katrina Gorry saw a strike from outside of the box saved by Lete.
London City Lionesses: Lete, Velasco, Kumagai (Kennedy 66), Asllani © (Roddar 80), Linari (Franssi 66), Godfrey (Corrales 56), Parris, Goodwin, Rofiat, Sangaré, Geyoro (Zelem 80)
Subs not used: Poor (GK), Maria, Lindström, Brown
Goal: Asllani 68
West Ham United: Szemik, Endo, Tysiak, Zadorsky, Endo, Siren, Gorry ©, Morgan (Piubel 53), Asseyi (Paví 73), Ueki, Martinez (Wandeler 73)
Subs not used: Walsh (GK), Nyström, Csiki, Brasero, Hanshaw, Houssein
Booked: Gorry
Referee: Abigail Byrne
Attendance: 1,872
Skinner: We felt like we did enough to get at least a point out of the game
Manager Rehanne Skinner felt her West Ham United women’s team deserved more from our Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at London City Lionesses.
The home side clinched a 1-0 victory, with their goal coming from Kosovare Asllani against the run of play.
Before the crucial moment in the 68th minute, Seraina Piubel had a shot well blocked before a Shelina Zadorsky header was cleared off the line. Completing a trio of quick opportunities, Shekiera Martinez saw a near-post effort well saved by Elene Lete.
Skinner also praised the work of her substitutes, who injected pace and trickery into our attack.
I thought we had large parts of the game that worked in our favour.
We created some good chances and defensively we were really solid. You expect to face some pressure and other teams to have the ball, but I thought we were really calm in how we dealt with that, putting in some tackles in key moments. We’re all frustrated because we felt like we did enough to get at least a point out of the game.
These things happen and we have to focus on the next one.
The goal came against the run of play, which was a bit of a blow, but the team were resilient and determined after that.
We had a good spell towards the end of the game where we put on a lot of pressure, we just didn’t quite get the ball over the line. That’s the bit that’s frustrating for us.
We’ve got good options in the team.
The gametime the players [who came on as a substitute against London City] got in midweek, they’ve been chipping away and testing themselves for a place in the team. It gives us good options, whether they’re starting or coming off the bench, to keep changing things. They definitely created a good energy today and that was positive.
We’ll keep working on the things we want to do better.
We don’t have a game next weekend but we’re still training, so it gives us near enough three weeks to be able to work on the things [before the Manchester City game] that individuals want to keep evolving, so that we’re even more effective in these games - and we can tweak some of those little bits to give people more repetition and practice.
Gorry: We’ve got to back ourselves a bit more
West Ham United women’s team captain Katrina Gorry wants her side to back our instincts in front of goal following our defeat to London City Lionesses.
We had 12 shots at Copperjax Community Stadium, but failed to find the net against the Pride, with our best chance coming through Viviane Asseyi when she hit the post with a well-struck effort from range.
Shelina Zadorsky, Riko Ueki, Shekiera Martinez and Gorry also had opportunities, but we couldn’t find a way past Elene Lete as it ended in defeat in Bromley.
“We came out here to put in our best performance, to come out with three points before the break,” said our skipper.
“I thought we did play well in patches, we created a few chances, but we just didn’t put them in the back of the net.
“We put our backline under pressure if we can’t score a few on our end.
“I think we’ve just got to back ourselves a bit more. I probably could have taken on a few more shots, we’re getting in dangerous positions but we’re looking to pass.
“That’s about having confidence in yourself to take on the shot. At the moment I think we’re stuck in the middle. We’ve got to back our instincts.
“I don’t remember them having too many clear-cut chances. We defended well and we’ve just got to be a bit more calm in possession and take our chances when we get them.”
Gorry has been called up to Australia’s squad for the upcoming international break, and she believes the time away from Barclays Women’s Super League action comes at a good time for the Hammers.
“It (the break) might come at a good time,” she said.
“Players that are staying get to have a bit of a rest, players that are with their national team have a good opportunity to get around different players, pick their brains a bit, and come back refreshed.”
