A difficult week for West Ham United came to an end with Manchester City securing a 3-1 win over the Irons at Rush Green Stadium.
Caroline Weir opened the scoring on 15 minutes as she slotted the ball past Anna Moorhouse, before Lauren Hemp scored City’s second goal just before the end of the first period.
A West Ham fight back was on in the second half when Jane Ross scored to reduce the deficit, but in the closing moments Nikita Parris was able to seal the points.
Ria Percival made a great defensive block to stop a City attack in the opening moments of the game; a signal of West Ham's desire to take something from the game.
The Hammers had their first chance at goal on 12 minutes. Kate Longhurst played a great through ball to Alisha Lehmann who then found Claire Rafferty. The left-back played in a lofted cross which new signing Adriana Leon was unable to turn goalward.
The visitors opened the scoring not long after. A ball was played through the middle of the West Ham defence and found Weir. The midfielder outpaced the Irons defence and calmly passed the ball past Anna Moorhouse.
The Irons had a great chance to score an equaliser just after the half hour mark. Ross made a great driving run down the wing and made her way in to the box. Rafferty was there to collect the ball, but got her feet tangled and the chance came to nothing.
Moments later the Irons had another chance to score. Leon made a great run down the wing and put a great ball in to the box, but Lehmann could only fire over.
City got their second goal on 39 minutes. A long ball over the top saw Hemp latch on to it and she was able to loft it over a helpless Moorhouse.
West Ham almost scored just before half-time when Gilly Flaherty rose highest to the corner, but Stokes cleared it off the line.
West Ham's pressure in the second half paid off when they scored on 58 minutes. Ross put some pressure on the Manchester City defence and Lehmann forced even more pressure by intercepting a clearance and Ross latched on to it to score her third goal in two WSL games.
On 70 minutes Moorhouse made an outstanding save to deny Janine Beckie.
Eight minutes late Longhurst pulled off some great skill in the middle of the pitch, only to fire her shot wide of the goal.
However, in the closing stages of the game as the Irons looked for an equaliser, City sealed the points. A misplaced pass from Visalli saw the visitors quickly counter and Parris was able to secure the three points.
West Ham United: Moorhouse; Percival, Flaherty, Sampson (Simon 60), Rafferty, Reichardt (So-Hyun 60), Longhurst, Visalli, Lehmann, Ross, Leon (Kmita 72)
Subs not used: Spencer
Goalscorers: Jane Ross 58
Manchester City: Roebuck; Stokes, Beattie, Houghton (c), Bonner, Walsh, Scott, Weir, Stanway, Hemp (Beckie 66), Parris
Subs not used: Bardsley, Lawley, Bremer, Morgan, Park, McManus
Goalscorers: Weir 15, Hemp 39, Parris 86
Attendance: 640