West Ham United 4-0 Leicester City
Barclays FA Women’s Super League
Chigwell Construction Stadium
Sunday 26 September 2021
West Ham United recorded their first victory of the 2021/22 Barclays FA Women’s Super League season with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Leicester City.
It was a dream start for Tameka Yallop in a West Ham United shirt, as she notched the games opening goal early in the first half.
Claudia Walker then made her mark, scoring her first goal for the club before Ashleigh Plumptre then inadvertently placed the ball in the back of her own net to give the Hammers a commanding lead.
Yallop then added a fourth in the second half to give her side their first win of the new campaign – and their first at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Olli Harder made two changes from the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa before the international break – with Yallop coming into the team to make her debut, along with Yui Hasegawa and Hawa Cissoko returning from injury and suspension respectively.
The Hammers started superbly, with Yallop almost opening the scoring with only six minutes gone. Adriana Leon picked out her new team-mate with a brilliant cross, but the Australian international couldn’t apply the finish.
Kate Longhurst then went close after Dagny Brynjardottir did superbly to cruise past McManus in the Foxes penalty area – but a covering defender got the final touch that fell into the arms of Kirsty Levell.
It was all West Ham United in the opening 15 minutes – and Leon went close again as she forced Lavell into action from close range again.
Hasegawa was enjoying herself in the sunshine at the Chigwell Construction Stadium – and her ball in on 21 minutes should have been headed home by Brynjarsdottir, her header landed wide of the mark.
The pressure from the Hammers finally paid off – with Yallop converting on her debut after a superb run and a fantastic assist from Kate Longhurst.
And the east Londoners made the pressure pay with Claudia Walker pouncing in the penalty area to score her first goal for the club.
It had been a superb and assertive half for the Hammers, which got even better just before the break – when Leon’s cross was turned into the Leicester net by Foxes defender, Plumptre.
Leicester made all three of their changes at the break, but were still unable to get a grip on the game, with Harder’s side dominating the play.
Brynjarsdottir should have added the fourth with only three minutes gone in the second half, as her effort from inside the six-yard area was hit straight at the goalkeeper.
The hard work didn’t stop there for Harder’s side, as they continued to carve out opportunities for themselves, whilst remaining solid at the back.
It was a professional second half from the Hammers – and Walker went close to adding her second with 74 minutes gone, but the shot was closed down well by the away side.
Leicester’s first real clear cut chance of the game came with only 15 minutes remaining in the contest – with former Hammer, Esme De Graaf firing narrowly wide.
Yallop was on hand to add a fourth, heading home from a Hasegawa cross – giving Harder’s side a convincing first victory of the season.
West Ham United: Arnold, Parker, Cissoko, Flaherty (c), Stringer (Wyne 71), Longhurst (Svitkova 60), Brynjarsdóttir, Yallop (Filis 90), Leon (Joel 60), Hasegawa (Cains 90), Walker.
Unused Substitutes: Leat,
Goals: Yallop 26, 81, Walker 38, OG 45.