West Ham drop to seventh in WSL after loss to Brighton – Match Report

West Ham suffer disappointing loss at home to Brighton, 0-2.

When the final whistle finally rang around the Chigwell Construction Stadium, the West Ham players felt a mix of disappointment and relief wash over them . They had endured what footballers like to describe as ‘one of those days’, a match that had seemed preordained to go against them.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Two hours earlier, ten of West Ham’s starting eleven had emerged from the tunnel smiling from ear to ear. They watched on with glee as their teammate, Dagny Brynjarsdottir was accompanied by her son for her walk on to the pitch as the pair celebrated Mother’s Day.

But what started as an afternoon of celebration had turned into an evening of soul-searching and frustration after the visitors claimed all three points. Goals from Aileen Whelan and Inessa Kaagman means that Brighton leapfrog the Hammers in the WSL table.

Olli Harder summed up a difficult afternoon for his side when he spoke to whufc.com after the match.

"“We’re really disappointed to not come away with anything today. We gave away two sloppy goals, and it’s those individual errors that have let us down today.”"

The West Ham manager made seven changes to the team that won away at Ipswich Town in the FA Cup last time out. Hawa Cissoko, Katerina Svitkova, Kate Longhurst, Yui Hasegawa, Tameka Yallop, Brynjarsdottir and Adriana Leon all returned to the starting eleven.

West Ham were immediately on the back foot when Whelan rolled the ball beyond Mackenzie Arnold’s desperate dive and into the bottom corner after just three minutes. Ellie Brazil nicked the ball away from Abbey Leigh-Stringer in midfield and galloped down the right wing. Her pinpoint ball across the West Ham penalty area found Inessa Kaagman who passed to her left for Whelan to finish.

After finding themselves behind so early, it took the Hammers 20 minutes to reorganise and begin to ask question of the Brighton defence. Yui Hasegawa’s rampaging run from midfield ended with the ball deflecting into Brynjarsdottir’s path, but the Iceland international’s shot was heroically blocked by Emma Kullberg.

West Ham were denied again when Brighton goalkeeper Katie Startup saved Leon’s fierce effort at the near post. Leon had been set up by a well-weighted pass from the outside of Svitkova’s right foot.

Kaagman almost put the visitors two goals up when her long range effort was tipped over for a corner by Arnold.

Brighton nearly doubled their lead shortly after half time through Danielle Carter. Carter received the ball from Kullberg on the left wing, rolling past Cissoko in the process. The Brighton winger drove inside towards the West Ham goal but her shot was saved at the near post by Arnold.

Olli Harder’s team tried to get themselves back into the game but couldn’t find a way to stop Brighton’s dangerous attacking moves.

Megan Connolly ran onto a loose ball on the edge of the West Ham box and beat Arnold with her first-time effort, but, unfortunately for her, the ball slammed off the crossbar.

Eventually, the Hammers did manage to fashion some chances of their own. Brynjarsdottir met Stringer’s cross at the back post but her header from a tight angle was comfortably saved by Brighton keeper, Startup.

The West Ham midfielder went close again minutes later when she aimed her header towards the far post following Hasegawa’s cross. Victoria Williams’ attempt to block the header almost diverted the ball beyond her goalkeeper but Startup was again equal to it.

In the end it was a calamitous own goal that effectively sealed the game in Brighton’s favour. Cissoko’s weak backpass caused confusion between Grace Fisk and her goalkeeper as both players attempted to clear the ball. Arnold got there first but her attempted clearance hit Fisk and ricocheted favourably for Kaagman to shoot into an empty goal.

Despite West Ham’s best efforts, they failed to threaten Brighton’s goal in the closing stages as the match ended 0-2 to the visitors.

West Ham will hope to return to winning ways next week when they face Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.