The Bow Belles take a Bow

Reichandt and Simic keep a close eye on Nobbs

Having your first game in the big time away to one of the big three was always going to be a big ask. 

Arsenal Women had the X Factor. 

West Ham United Women had the y factor. They were an unknown quantity. Their pre-season had showcased the new talent brought in from around the globe but would be little indication of how they would fare against the  serial cup winners.

In front of healthy crowd  West Ham Women answered any doubts about whether they could compete at this level, and on another day could have maybe got something from the game. No sign of stage fright and no-one fluffed their lines.

Matthew Beard conducts his players

From the off both teams were content just to pass the ball around, patiently looking for openings. Surprisingly Arsenal started using the long pass ( i.e. hoof ) to try to forge an opening for their lightning fast strikers, but these were easily fielded by centre backs Flaherty and Brooke Hendrix (officially the coolest name in women’s football). 

The first real chance fell to Arsenal. Beth Mead pounced on a rare loose ball and hurtled towards goal. As a photographer sometimes you have to try and predict what will happen next to get the money shot. I predicted that Becky Spencer was going to have to make a save, so I focussed on her. Meanwhile out of shot a superhuman last ditch challenge by Gilly Flaherty prevented Mead from pulling the trigger. 

As the match wore on Arenal became more confident and after a sustained game of bagatelle in the Hammer’s box the ball eventually fell to McCabe who drove it past the keeper from close range. 

McCabe scores her first.

Arsenal doubled their lead just before the break with a great move involving a back heel, a cross …and a flying header from Beth Mead. It was a goal to behold. I had to applaud the move even though I was watching with my claret and blue specs on.

Mead heads Arsenal's second

HT 2-0 

Matthew Beard must have utilised his half time twenty minutes well. Or he might have just said ‘Go for it!’ because West Ham came flying out of the blocks with a new belief and a new attacking threat in the second half. 

Leanne Kiernan terrorised the Arsenal full back with insane Usain-like pace and presented me with my next Nostradamus dilemma. 

Van Veenendaal is beaten by Visalli

Kiernan doing her best Roadrunner impersonation sped towards my direction  (I was just left of the goal) and I ‘guessed’ that she would go on to score a magnificent solo goal. So….. I aimed the lens at the Arsenal keeper. Nothing. I’d missed the fact that she had cut an intelligent ball back to Brianna Visalli, whose instinctive early shot from the edge of the area caught keeper Van Veenendaal unawares and all she could do (and me) was to watch the ball nestle into the back of the net. 

Game on!

Another scintillating run from Kiernan left the outrushing Van Veenendaal for dead and from what seemed (and proved to be) an impossible angle shot just wide. There were momentary looks of horror on the faces of the Arsenal defenders, and plenty of oohs and ahhhs from the West Ham fans. Fine margins. If the ball had ended up the other side of the post West Ham I feel could have gone on to win and I would have been waxing lyrically about a famous victory.

Kieran narrowly misses

Alas it didn’t ….and Arsenal managed to underline their win with a fine solo goal by McCabe. 
Becky Spencer pulled off a great one handed save to deny Evans in the closing stages ….and that was that. The spoils belonged to Arsenal, but West Ham Women can take comfort in the fact that they looked comfortable playing at this level and will have learned a lot about themselves as a team.

By the time the important business of the league starts next month manager Beard will have fine tuned his troops, and it looks like it’s a good time to be a Hammer ( surely I must get one prediction right….law of averages and all that…)

Becky Spencer - Not at fault for any of the goals. Solid performance, and played with a smile.

Kate Longhurst - Played out of her normal positition at right back. Brave performance, rushes in where angels fear to tread, but is no fool....

Gilly Flaherty - Captain’s performance, always seems to have time on the ball, an abundance of nous.

Brooke Hendrix - Perfect foil for Flaherty in defence. Fast, strong and good in the air.

Claire Rafferty - Her experience benefited the defence against very strong opposition.

Brianna Visalli - Gets better and better each game. Her height belies her strength and courage. Very skilful performance capped with a goal.

Julia Simic - Workwomanlike performance, excellent distribution and strong in the tackle.

Lucienne Reichardt - Industrious performance…. a thorn in the Arsenal women’s side.

Leanne Kiernan - Brilliant second half, all of the dangerous attacking situations stemmed from her whippet like runs.

Alisha Lehmann - Stylish performance, strong in the tackle and good link up play.

Jane Ross - Held the ball up well, had a few half chances but as a centre forward needed more service.

subs

Esmee De Graaf - Unlucky not to start, added extra quality to forward play after coming on.

Vyan Sampson - Received a warm reception from the home supporters, classy defender.

Ria Percival - Had her first brief appearance for the Hammers.

Matthew Beard may have assembled his team with ‘off the peg’ players but they look like they are ‘made to measure’ for West Ham Women…