The pressure on Manchester United’s final three Barclays Women’s Super League games mounted as they failed to take all three points from West Ham on Saturday.
Though Riko Ueki, Viviane Asseyi, and substitute Seraina Piubel looked bright for West Ham, the Manchester side had the better attacking opportunities and will be frustrated to have let the game drift to a stalemate.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnited’s best chances came through Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland in the first half, and as the game wore on, they struggled for ideas to break down the Hammers. Marc Skinner’s side are still in the UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying places, but the pressure on their final three games against the other teams in the top four is now huge.
As it happened
West Ham started brightly and had the first effort on goal after two minutes, but Eva Nyström’s glancing header flew wide. After a nervy opening, Manchester United began to dominate possession. Celin Bizet looked threatening on the right wing and seemed to have the beating of Irons defender Verena Hanshaw, striking the woodwork herself in the 18th minute and crossing in for a header that Elisabeth Terland narrowly missed on the half-hour mark.
The Hammers looked to break when they could through the pace of Asseyi and Riko Ueki, but their efforts went unrewarded with few colleagues in the box to capitalise.
Embed from Getty ImagesBy halftime, United had racked up nine shots to West Ham’s three, but poor finishing left them in danger of dropping crucial points in the race for Champions League qualification.
The match wore on in much the same way, with United piling crosses into the box but still unable to find the net. With the game in danger of drifting to a stalemate, both managers made changes around the hour mark. West Ham’s Seraina Piubel replaced Asseyi while for United, Gabby George and Leah Galton made way for Anna Sandberg and Melvine Malard.
Rehanne Skinner’s substitution seemed to revitalise the hosts somewhat, forcing United keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce into a couple of saves, but the match continued to drift. Both sides showed their frustration at the stalemate, with West Ham’s Shekiera Martinez and United’s Grace Clinton sending long-range efforts over the bar in the 74th and 75th minutes. Even United’s usual super-sub Rachel Williams, thrown on for the last fifteen minutes, couldn’t break the deadlock.
Embed from Getty ImagesA scrappy, end-to-end final ten minutes had plenty of chances but lacked real quality. Terland and Piubel both attempted charging counterattacks with no end product, and the game finished – despite 27 shots between the sides – goalless.
The two points dropped are a worry for Manchester United, who missed the chance to go level on points with second-placed Arsenal. They sit in third and are eight points clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand and who they face at Old Trafford on 4th May. West Ham, meanwhile, continue their strong home form in the league and remain 7th.
The lineups
WHU: Szemik; Hanshaw, Zadorsky, Tysiak, Mengwen; Asseyi, Gorry, Siren, Nyström; Ueka, Martinez
MUN: Tullis-Joyce; George, Turner, Le Tissier, Riviere; Miyazawa, Clinton, Toone; Galton, Terland, Bizet