LCFC Women 1 West Ham United 2: It goes to the final day
In what the men’s side must hope isn’t an omen for next Sunday, West Ham’s women came to Filbert Way and soaked up pressure while striking twice on the break.
Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Reading the day before meant this didn’t have the same feel as if the Royals had triumphed. That would have put Leicester bottom and in need of a result.
Instead, this was an opportunity to secure survival on home turf. And if Leicester had been given the choice of any WSL side to face in these circumstances, it would probably have been the Hammers, managed by former Leicester man Paul Konchesky, who were winless in 2023.
Realistically, it’s hard to see Reading getting the win they need against Chelsea next weekend. Nevertheless, strange things can happen and a win here would have removed the need for any concern.
It didn’t come. Recent home wins over Reading and Liverpool have been joyous occasions, particularly for those of us who have trooped away from men’s home games with shoulders slumped far too many times this season. But this was a reminder Leicester still have gaps to plug, particularly in the goalscoring department.
Behind at the break
There was a bit of a false start when, after just two minutes, the sprinklers went on at the Family Stand end to the bemusement of visiting goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.
Remy Siemsen had the first chance of the game, firing straight at Arnold when put clear in the left channel. It was the kind of chance that demonstrated Leicester’s lack of a clinical finisher.
At the other end, West Ham created nothing until the 18th minute when CJ Bott was caught upfield. This left a massive gap for young left-back Anouk Denton whose attempted cross looped up off Sophie Howard and into the far corner.
We then saw the positive side of Bott’s sense of adventure, her driving run ending in a shot touched wide by Arnold at full stretch.
Leicester were doing all the attacking but after Hannah Cain had an effort saved, West Ham attacker Viviane Asseyi was the next to find the target with her shot from distance turned behind by Leitzig.
A couple of minutes before the break, Leicester missed a sitter of epic proportions when Cain’s deep corner was headed over from within the six-yard box by Ash Plumptre.
West Ham had their final chance of the half in stoppage time when Amalie Thestrup broke clear down the left and cut inside to shoot over. At the other end, brilliant work from Carrie Jones set up a chance for Aileen Whelan whose shot from outside the box was tame.
There were no changes at half time and few signs of a positive change in the scoreline either. Ruby Mace shot wildly over when the ball fell to her on the edge of the box after a goalmouth scramble. In fact, West Ham looked the likelier to add to their lead.
They got the chance just before the hour mark when awarded a penalty. The chance came from a similar situation to the one that resulted in the opener. This time it was the opposite full-back Courtney Nevin who gave the ball away upfield and the space was again exploited in behind, Plumptre missing a challenge and Howard handling the resulting cross.
Dagny Brynjarsdottir converted the spot kick to double the visitors’ tally, with Willie Kirk responding straight away by introducing Shannon O’Brien on the right side of the attack in place of the ineffective Siemsen.
Ruby red
There was almost an instant response, Aileen Whelan looping a shot against the bar after clever work in the box by Sam Tierney.
With twenty minutes left, Cain’s willing running led to a free kick in a central position on the edge of the D. With the dangerous delivery of Nevin strangely overlooked in favour of Cain in this game, the Welsh international took it herself but her effort was weak and easily cleared. When the ball was recycled, Howard shot over the bar.
Kirk then brought on Missy Goodwin for CJ Bott but it was another substitute who immediately wasted a golden chance, O’Brien shooting wide at the near post when she should have found the net.
Bott’s removal saw Mace moved to right-back and the midfield suffered in the absence of her technical quality. Unfortunately we may now have seen the last of Mace in a Leicester shirt in any position after the Manchester City loanee was sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time. She will miss the final fixture against Brighton and her return next season seems highly questionable.
The signalling of nine minutes of stoppage time saw the game eventually go over 100 minutes and ended in surreal fashion. Arnold needlessly flew off her line at a set piece to clean out Whelan near the edge of the penalty area and Cain dispatched the resulting penalty. Sadly, time soon ran out and Leicester were beaten.
So it will go to the final day after all for the women as well as the men. There’s an almost infinitely greater chance of a better outcome for Willie Kirk’s side. But even if Chelsea get the expected victory at Reading, Leicester will want to end what seems set to be a positive season on a high with three points in Sussex.
