Report: United Women 2 West Ham 1

For our first game following the recent international break, Marc Skinner made three changes to the side that started against Wolfsburg in the Champions League last month, including the return of Phallon Tullis-Joyce in goal after a three-game injury absence. Jess Park and Elisabeth Terland also came back in, with Safia Middleton-Patel, Simi Awujo and Fridolina Rolfo moving to the bench.

Dominique Janssen scored what proved to be the winner midway through the second half, converting a free-kick from just outside the box.

Elisabeth Terland’s 10th goal of the season, scored towards the end of the first half, had originally put United into the lead, but that was cancelled out by West Ham forward Shekiera Martinez not long after the restart.

An impressive milestone to come from this game was Maya Le Tissier’s 100th consecutive United start across all competitions, having also started in back-to-back games for England last week.

FIRST HALF

With kick-off delayed by 15 minutes owing to unforeseen logistical problems regarding West Ham’s arrival in Leigh, United began on the front foot. Hinata Miyazawa’s low drive from distance, deflected just wide, was an early chance. Le Tissier had Hammers goalkeeper Kinga Szemik worried when she tried her luck from even further out, the ball skidding off the wet surface.

Szemik would be busy for the remainder of the half, largely tasked with keeping Terland at bay. Still with less than 20 minutes gone, the visiting stopper denied our no.10 with her legs – Jansssen followed up with a rebound that was deflected wide. Szemik then parried a Terland shot after Julia Zigiotti Olme pinched possession on the edge of West Ham’s box.

The rain that had been light drizzle before kick-off was starting to fall heavier by midway through the first half and Szemik did well in the conditions to gather and hold a Jayde Riviere cross and low Ella Toone shot from distance in separate United attacks.

When the breakthrough came, a lot of the credit went to Anna Sandberg. The United left-back beat her marker with a clever feint, before delivering a teasing cross that put the chance on a plate for Terland to finish first time from close range.

There was still time before the break to create another opportunity as United mounted a quick counter, but Terland’s attempt at a precise curling finish was again beaten away by Szemik.

SECOND HALF

There was an element of controversy as West Ham equalised within eight minutes of the restart, given back possession after it struck referee Melissa Burgin, even though United players had been in position to regain the ball from the heavy Hammers touch that sent it Bugin’s way. As the ball then went into the box, Martinez’s acrobatic finish managed to loop over Tullis-Joyce into the net

That goal had come against the run of play and, as United looked to get back ahead, Zigiotti’s clean strike from outside the box agonisingly came back off the post just after the hour mark. Moments later, a looping back post header from Melvine Malard landed on the roof of the goal. At the other end, Tullis-Joyce saved a dipping curler from Viviane Asseyi that threatened to be a tricky one.

As the clock ticked into the final 20 minutes, Janssen was the coolest person inside the Progress With Unity Stadium, made to wait as she lined up her free-kick on the edge of the West Ham box. The right-footed attempt was inch-perfect, bypassing the defensive wall and rippling the back of the net.

United kept trying to extend the new lead in the final stages, with Jess Park and Zigiotti both firing off target. Another Park effort, again from outside the box, was scooped up by Szemik in the middle of the goal. But it was also an exercise in control, with the Reds fully dominating the ball and not allowing West Ham to muster a single shot in the final 10 minutes.

But there is little time to celebrate the result that puts us back into the WSL’s top three, with OL Lyonnes visiting Leigh in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere (Blundell 77), Le Tissier (c), Janssen, Sandberg; Zigiotti, Miyazawa; Park, Toone (Awujo 83), Malard; Terland (Rolfo 83).

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, George, Naalsund, Galton, Williams.

Goals: Terland 37, Janssen 71.

Booked: Terland.

West Ham: Szemik; Endo, Tysiak, Nystrom; Morgan, Gorry (c), Siren, Hanshaw; Martinez, Asseyi, Ueki (Wandeler 86).

Subs not used: Walsh, O’Hanlon, Belloumou, Cemal, Houssein, Piubel, Taylor-Brown.

Goal: Martinez 53.

Booked: Asseyi, Nystrom.

Attendance: 2,705.