West Ham United Women vs Aston Villa Women. Women's Super League.
Victoria RoadAttendance1,106.
Report and free match highlights as Adriana Leon scores early on for West Ham Women, who had failed to score in 600 WSL minutes; After numerous chances, Aston Villa Women secure a late draw as Remi Allen strikes for a second successive weekend
Monday 27 September 2021 16:30, UK
Remi Allen's late strike saw Aston Villa Women deny West Ham Women their first home win since February 2020, drawing 1-1 in the Women's Super League.
Heading into the game, Olli Harder's side had not found the net in around 600 minutes of football, but very soon after kick-off, Leon (8) - fresh from her Olympic gold with Canada - turned home after a poor defensive error from Aston Villa.
But the visitors soon found their feet in the WSL match-up. Aston Villa had numerous chances - debutant Emily Gielnik hitting the post in the second half - but captain Allen delivered once again.
She sent Mayumi Pacheco's initial shot home with a leaping header in the 92nd minute, securing a point for Villa after her winner also saw Leicester beaten last weekend.
West Ham had been on the cusp of their first home win since beating Liverpool 4-2 before the Covid-enforced shutdown, continuing their run of no wins at Victoria Road in the 2020/21 season. However, they did break their scoring drought, having gone six WSL games without a goal.
Ahead of the remaining weekend games on Sunday, Villa go top of the WSL after another battling performance from Carla Ward's side.
It was a lightning-quick start from West Ham, taking advantage of Villa's early defensive confusion. Anita Asante was unable to clear the ball inside her own area, with Lisa Evans robbing her easily. She then found Leon in the middle, who turned home over the flying body of Sarah Mayling in the six-yard box.
Another potentially calamitous Villa error almost handed West Ham their second goal inside 11 minutes. Elisha N'Dow's simple back pass was not dealt with by Hannah Hampton, as she and Leon both slid for the ball. The West Ham forward was quickest back to her feet and looked to have an open goal to score into, but Hampton scrambled back in time to block.
But Aston Villa soon began to find their rhythm. The early warning shot was fired when debutant Gielnik fired over from range. Shortly after, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah sent in a superb cross from the left wing - the first time Villa had really found the channel - and it needed a one-handed save from Mackenzie Arnold to palm it away.
On the half an hour mark, Arnold needed to make another vital save. Allen and Gielnik linked up well inside the area, with the latter striking, but the West Ham goalkeeper was at the near post to push it behind. From the resulting corner, Boye-Hlorkah nodded wide at the back post.
Aston Villa continued to see the better of the chances, but went into the break a goal behind.
West Ham could have doubled their lead early in the second half. Leon swung in a lovely ball from deep on the right wing, and Dagny Brynjarsdottir making a perfect run into the six-yard box. However, her header went straight at the goalkeeper, before Aston Villa managed to clear.
But as with the first half, Villa pushed hard for their goal as the second half continued. Pacheco forced a fine save from Arnold, before the ball was recycled and found Gielnik at the top of the area. However, her strike came off the post. Allen and Shania Hayles both tested Arnold as the game entered a frantic final ten minutes, but the Aston Villa captain popped up with the winner in the second of four added minutes.
Pacheco fired from the top of the area, but did not quite catch the ball as she would like. However, Ramona Petzelberger sent the ball forward and Allen was on the move, leaping to turn past Arnold, deservedly securing a point for Aston Villa.
Laura Bassett on Sky Sports:
"I think she's worked tirelessly. If she doesn't perform as well as she did in the first 20 minutes, West Ham don't go in front."
West Ham manager Olli Harder: "We weren't efficient enough when we had the moments to score. The goal at the end is a sucker punch, but we also need to be better in owning our moments. It was a complicated last ten minutes with that ball coming long every time, we had to deal with and we didn't.
"It's about being switched on, clearing your lines, doing the basics well and we didn't do that well enough throughout the match. Had we completed the basics, we could have taken all three points.
"It's great to have the fans and good that they can celebrate a goal. I think this is one of those days where it's a lot of coulda, shoulda, wouldas. We had a couple of monster chances in the second half as well, but that's how it goes.
"I'm not satisfied at all. That needs to be three points today- it's not good enough for us to go out here and get a point. Full respect to Villa, I thought they played well, but we need to be looking higher than getting a point at home. We need to be winning these matches."
Aston Villa manager Carla Ward: "I love a late goal, don't I? Overall, I think it was deserved. I think we deserved potentially to win the game. Over the 90 minutes, a point is probably fair.
"In the first 30 minutes we weren't at it, but we dominated in the second half and had about four big chances. I don't know what we were doing in the first 30 minutes, but I'm happy we came away with a point but we have to start better.
"We have conceded two goals in two games and they've both been our own mistakes. That's not good enough, we can't keep going into the game 1-0 down because of our own mistakes. We've got to do better with that.
"But overall, I think the girls are fairly pleased. We've dug in and the character we've shown to not lose the game is huge."
On Hannah Hampton: "How she's not in the England squad, I don't know. For me, she's the most in-form English goalkeeper and she's shown it again today, at 1-0, she's kept us in the game. I think it needs highlighting because it's world class.
"Absolutely she's ready. She's been in the last six or seven camps. I can't work it out myself… Big players step up in big moments and she's done it consistently. I haven't spoken to Sarina, but I'm astounded. We're talking about one of the best English talents and she's in form. She has to play, not just to be in the squad."
Sky Sports' Karen Carney: "They were knocking on the door in the end. They changed shape and got an extra centre forward on, went 4-4-2 and really put West Ham under pressure. They kept dropping back and there was no outlet, and it was just pressure after pressure.
"Credit to Remi Allen, it's two in two. She was in the right place. We're used to Allen being the defensive breaker-upper, but in the last couple of games, she's tried to get into the box a lot more and got her rewards.
"They've shown credit for the last two weeks to come back from that [going behind]. West Ham will be so disappointed to concede in the manner they did, but Villa deserved it."
Aston Villa forward Sophie Haywood: "When you look at West Ham's results, you can almost excuse the ones from last season. He Inherited a team that wasn't necessarily his and you're scrapping to stay up, like we are.
"But they have to find goals from somewhere. They've bought Claudia Walker in and it's just not clicking with the final product. Three points today would have been massive for them, especially against a team that's probably going to be in and around where they're going to finish."
West Ham striker Adriana Leon: "It's disappointing as a striker and it does feel like a defeat. We had chances in the first 20 minutes so if we put them away, we win the game. The toughest part is creating chances and we did that so I think that's a positive to take away."
West Ham captain Gilly Flaherty: "For me it feels like a defeat. You dominate the game - especially in the first 15-20 minutes - then in the second half we were getting deeper and deeper and she was unmarked in the box. We want to win so that feels like defeat for us.
"We have so many new players in the team too so we have to build those relationships. Sometimes you need something like this to happen today so you make sure it doesn't happen again in the season."
Aston Villa goalscorer Remi Allen: "We're really pleased with a point but disappointed with the start. Credit to Hannah Hampton, because she makes a world-class save and then we go down the other end and score a goal. It shows a lot of belief and resilience and it's good so we can push on… I'm buzzing to be on the scoresheet again."
After the international break, West Ham resume their WSL campaign at home to Leicester on Saturday 26 September; kick-off 3pm. For Aston Villa, they will travel to Brighton on the same day; kick-off 2pm.
