Report: West Ham 0 United Women 0

There were three changes from Sunday’s Subway Women’s League Cup final in Bristol, with Marc Skinner recalling Lea Schuller, Fridolina Rolfo and Millie Turner, replacing Ellen Wangerheim, Melvine Malard and Jayde Riviere respectively.

United created most of the best chances in the stalemate, unable to find a way past a dogged West Ham backline as centre-back Eva Nystrom was awarded Barclays Player of the Match and goalkeeper Kinga Szemik made five saves.

It means that a WSL winning run stretching back to January ends at four games.

FIRST HALF

Kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes due to travel disruption affecting United’s arrival in Dagenham, but the visitors dominated the ball once things did get going. Elisabeth Terland soon caught the first sight of goal, striking a low shot at Szemik after former Reds skipper Katie Zelem was dispossessed.

Teri, operating from the same deeper role she had done in Bristol, eventually had the best chances of the first half after what was a challenging open 30 minutes.

But before the game properly came to life, Jess Park had a curling shot that lacked the power to test Szemik, while Shekiera Martinez had a tame effort of her own at the other end, comfortable for Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

With things beginning to heat up, there came a warning sign from West Ham when Viviane Asseyi blazed wide from a good position after taking on Maya Le Tissier.

But two good saves from Szemik then kept the Hammers in it. The Pole first managed to get strong hands on a curling effort from Julia Zigiotti on the edge of the box. Moments later, she pushed a stooping Terland header away from the bottom corner after Lisa Naalsund’s searching cross.

There was definitely an element of United turning the screw before the half-time whistle, with Terland scooping the ball over near the penalty spot after Park’s precise cutback. Schuller also appealed for a penalty that wasn’t given after tangling with Nystrom in the box.

SECOND HALF

The boss rang the changes early, replacing Dominique Janssen with Gabby George at left-back for the restart and then injecting some fresh attacking legs only 10 minutes later in the shape of Malard and Simi Awujo.

Szemik frustrated United again coming up to the hour mark, as Schuller connected with Rolfo’s cross from the left without breaking stride. The West Ham stopper’s reactions were sharp, parrying away.

Asseyi soon had an excellent chance to put the hosts ahead against the run of play, timing her close-range header wrong and lacking power. Meanwhile, Malard’s impact was being felt and she went closer than anyone after a collision between Szemik and defender Estelle Cascarino, seeing the ball cleared off the line.

Another attacking change inside the final 20 minutes saw Wangerheim on for Schuller, but United ultimately could not find a way through.

Malard fired into the side netting the wrong side of the near post towards the end, with West Ham defending resiliently and repelling everything that the Reds tried. Szemik was even shown a yellow card in the dying minutes for slowing the game.

The result, combined with Chelsea’s narrow 2-1 win over Brighton elsewhere, sees United slip to third in the WSL standings before the visit of Everton at the Progress With Unity Stadium on Saturday.

MATCH DETAILS

West Ham: Szemik; Cascarino, Nystrom, Hansen; Belloumou, Zelem, Siren, Tennebo; Morgan, Martinez (Piubel 84), Asseyi (c) (Wandeler 77).

Subs not used: Walsh, Cemal, Endo, Hanshaw, Zadorsky, Houssein, Brasero.

Booked: Belloumou, Szemik.

United: Tullis-Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier (c), Turner, Janssen (George 46); Zigiotti, Naalsund (Drury 87); Park (Malard 56), Terland (Awujo 57), Rolfo; Schuller (Wangerheim 71).

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Anderson.

Booked: Zigiotti.

Attendance: 1,097.