Women's Report: West Ham 2 United 4

Sunday 18 October 2020 14:37

Tobin Heath and Christen Press scored their first goals for the Reds, as Manchester United Women beat West Ham 4-2 in the Women's Super League.

Casey Stoney’s side came firing out of the blocks, creating several chances early on, and found a breakthrough via Alessia Russo’s opener.

Heath then added our second with her first United goal, but West Ham got one back through Emily van Egmond before Russo was on target again just before the break.  

Rachel Daly reduced the Reds' advantage to seemingly set up a grandstand finish with seven minutes to play, but substitute Press ensured there wouldn’t be a nervy end to the match, scoring off the post shortly after to secure a 4-2 win and extend our unbeaten start to the league campaign to five games.

Before three minutes had elapsed, Stoney's side had created three good chances. A cross from the right ended at the feet of Russo, who couldn’t control the ball. The ball was cleared out to Katie Zelem who fired a shot at goal.

Shortly after, Russo went on an excellent solo run, dribbling past several Hammers defenders before testing Mackenzie Arnold, who was quick to get down to save our forward's attempt.

In the 20th minute, the Reds, in the away legacy green kit for this occasion, finally got the breakthrough our dominance deserved with a wonderfully worked goal.

Captain Zelem put a cross to the back post to Galton who sent the ball back in for Russo to tap home from inside the six-yard box. Another soon followed, as Heath smashed in her first United goal.

The American superstar received the ball from goal scorer Russo, took one touch and rifled home, leaving Arnold with no chance.

The Hammers pulled one back in the 39th minute when van Egmond headed down and into the corner behind Mary Earps, but the hosts' hopes for a comeback were soon dampened by Galton and Russo.

As with the first goal, Galton put in a precise delivery for our no. 23 to head home and United went into the break 3-1 up.

Leah Galton provided two assists for Alessia Russo against West Ham.

West Ham got the first chance after the restart as Daly whipped in a great cross, but no one was there to convert for the home side.

United then came close to putting the game to bed. Heath found Russo, who set up Ella Toone to run through one on one but her poked effort went just wide of Arnold's goal.

After an hour, Stoney brought on Kirsty Hanson for Heath, with Hayley Ladd replacing Zelem minutes later.

United piled pressure on with 20 minutes to go but could not extend the lead following a series of corners, with Millie Turner - who scored the winner at Tottenham last week - coming closest with a header that went just over the bar.

Katie Zelem gets her foot on the ball in the middle of the park.

With seven minutes to go, the Hammers slashed United’s lead to just one goal after what looked like a cross from Daly looped over Earps and in.

But just as the Hammers were entertaining ideas of salvaging a point, Press found herself unmarked at the far post to net the Reds' fourth of the game.

MATCH DETAILS

UNITED: Earps; A.Turner (c), McManus, M.Turner, Okvist; Zelem (Ladd 68), Toone (Staniforth 77), Groenen; Heath (Hanson 62), Galton, Russo (Press 77)

Subs not used: Ramsey, Smith, Ross, Sigsworth.

Goals: Russo (20, 42), Heath (23), Press (87)

West Ham: Arnold; Redisch Kvamme, Flaherty, Fisk, Vetterlein (Joel 73); Longhurst (Cho 60), van Egmond, Dali; Leon (Lehmann 60); Thomas (Svitkova 59), Daly

Goals: van Egmond (39), Daly (83)

Subs not used: Kiernan, Mustafa, Grant, Brosnan.

Booked: van Egmond, Daly, Dali

Referee: Ryan Atkin

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