West Ham United 3-2 Reading
Barclays Women's Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 23 October 2022, 3pm.
West Ham United Women clinched back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2022/23 season with a 3-2 victory over Reading at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
A stunning first-half display from Paul Konchesky’s side gave them the platform, with Dagny Brynjarsdottir heading in her fourth goal in as many matches to get the game going after only four minutes.
Viviane Asseyi then scored a brace with two well taken finishes to put her side firmly in the ascendancy going into the half-time break.
Reading hit back as the Hammers failed to see out the game, with Charlie Wellings and Sanne Troelsgaard making for an interesting final few minutes.
But Konchesky’s side hung on to move up to fifth in the Barclays Women’s Super League standings.
The Hammers made another lightning start, and it was the skipper, Brynjarsdóttir that headed home for her fourth goal in as many matches!
Mel Filis, who was making her first start of the season in the clash against the Royals found space wide on the right and floated a wonderful ball in that the Icelandic international was able to attack and nod into the bottom corner.
Asseyi thought she’d notched a second goal for the Hammers inside ten minutes, but her strike was ruled out for offside by the officials.
It was all West Ham United in the opening exchanges, with Thea Kyvåg the next to try her luck, firing a powerful shot narrowly wide from an acute angle.
Reading started to threaten Mackenzie Arnold’s goal, with the goalkeeper have to be alert to tip a dangerous cross away from danger.
The Hammers were catching Reading on the counter attack with frequency, and it wasn’t long until Konchesky’s side unlocked the door again.
A scramble inside the area saw the ball bounce around, before it fell to the feet of Asseyi, who smashed the ball home with great conviction for her side’s second of the game with 22 minutes on the clock.
Eight minutes later, and Asseyi had doubled her tally for the afternoon. Filis, who had been lively throughout, drove forward with the ball once again. She threaded a beautiful pass through to Asseyi, who made no mistake from close range and slotted the ball beyond Burns.
Asseyi nearly had a hat-trick before the half was out – her freekick needed the help of the crossbar as Jacqueline Burns almost lost the flight of the ball on its way through.
In the second half, Reading came out looking to try and salvage a way back into the game – as they threw a whole host of players forward.
Whilst they continued to throw bodies into the area, the Hammers defended well and restricted the Royals to very little.
Kyvåg almost added a fourth for the Hammers with a thunderous effort from range, but the ball rose away from goal and didn’t cause Burns issue.
Konchesky began to look to his bench, bringing on Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Halle Houssein and Claudia Walker. The changes disrupted the rhythm of the Hammers slightly, with Reading able to overload on the right-hand side, which allowed Wellings to fire in a goal.
Kate Longhurst was then adjudged to have fouled a Royals player that went storming into the penalty area, with Troelsgaard converting to make for an interesting final ten minutes plus stoppage time.
The Hammers held on, though, for to make it back-to-back league wins and give them further momentum heading into an away match against Arsenal next weekend.
West Ham United: Arnold (Hillyerd 79), Shimizu, Fisk, Longhurst, Smith, Filis (Houssein 72), Brynjarsdottir © (Stringer 61), Hayashi, Evans (Atkinson 79), Kyvåg (Walker 73), Asseyi.
Subs: Flannery
Goals: Brynjarsdottir 4, Asseyi 22, 30.
Reading: Burns, Mukandi ©, Evans, Wellings, Eikeland, Dowie (Troelsgaard 63), Cooper, Rowe, Vanhaevermaet (Wade 68), Woodham (Bryson 46), Primmer (Caldwell 90).
Subs: Poulter, Jane, Meadows-Tuson.
Goals: Wellings 74, Troelsgaard 79
Booked: Cooper 59
Attendance: 1,041
