Our journey in the Subway Women’s League Cup came to an end at the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United on Wednesday night.
Martha Thomas headed home her first goal of the campaign to put us ahead in the opening stages at Brisbane Road, but two goals in five minutes from the Hammers - Seraina Piubel and Kirtsy Smith the goalscorers - turned the game in their favour on the stroke of half time.
We pushed for an equaliser in the second half, Thomas and Matilda Vinberg both denied by smart saves from the visitors’ goalkeeper Megan Walsh, but we ultimately couldn’t find the breakthrough as West Ham progress to face Chelsea in the semi-final.
It means our attention now turns to Adobe Women’s FA Cup, which kicks off next Wednesday evening with a trip to Everton in the fourth round.
Amanda Nilden on the ball
Thomas returned to the starting XI as one of three changes from Sunday’s win against Leicester City in the WSL and she certainly made her mark in the 10th minute on a chilly night in the capital. Our number 17, against her former side, met Amanda Nilden’s corner at the front post and guided a looping header over Walsh and into the far corner.
We were on the front foot after the early opener, Thomas struck the outside of the post after clever footwork to evade her defender while Hayley Raso’s deflected effort forced the Hammers’ goalkeeper into a low save but, as the game ticked towards the final stages of the half, we were made to rue our early dominance as a quick counterattack from West Ham saw Emma Harries’ pinpoint cross tapped home by Piubel from close range.
Then, five minutes later, the visitors were ahead. Smith’s free-kick from just inside their own half evaded a number of bodies inside the box and sneaked in at the back post, finding ourselves narrowly behind at half time. Looking for a quick response, Robert Vilahamn made four changes at the break to search for a way back into the game.
Thomas saw her effort on the half-volley denied by Walsh at her near post while Raso tested the shot-stopper with a fierce strike from edge of the box as we pushed for a leveller. Walsh was in inspired form in the second half and she produced a fantastic reaction save in the 83rd minute, pushing Matilda Vinberg’s effort from point-blank range over the bar after a superb cross from Thomas to find the forward.
Substitute Viviane Asseyi’s curling effort grazed the outside of the post as the fourth official indicated an additional seven minutes of stoppage, but we simply couldn’t find a way back into the tie as we slipped to our first defeat of the new year.
