Liverpool: NAWest Ham: Kapocs (OG) 6’Pre-Match Liverpool have a chance to mathematically assure themselves safety from relegation with a win against West Ham. With two very difficult matches to finish the season, Gareth Taylor will hope his side can continue their run of good form against a Hammers side playing for their own lives in the relegation battle.
Taylor has a relatively fit side to choose from all things considered. Denise O’Sullivan is on the bench to start, with Kirsty MacLean getting another start in the middle of the pitch. Alice Bergstrom starts on the right wing, with Beata Olsson leading the line. Martha Thomas misses out with an injury.
West Ham come out quite aggressively, pressing high and charging forward with the ball at any opportunity. Liverpool have an early corner that causes some troubles for the visitors, but it has been all West Ham beyond that opportunity.
Goal West Ham. A ball over the top (that looks well offside) beats Liverpool’s high line, and the ball gets deflected behind for a corner kick. The ball in is flicked on to the far post and comes off the leg of Cornelia Kapocs for an own goal.
Liverpool start to find their footing after the goal, moving the ball around better and creating several chances. The final ball lets the Reds down, however, and they have not done much to trouble the West Ham goalkeeper. Jenna Clark comes closest off of a corner kick, but her header doesn’t have enough power and is saved with relative ease.
West Ham are still finding their opportunities despite Liverpool growing into the game. Viviane Asseyi in particular is causing problems for the Reds, using her pace to drive the ball forward and create opportunities. She forces a spectacular diving save by Jennifer Falk with one of her efforts.
Ceri Holland looks to get Liverpool back in the match as she drives forward down the left channel, getting a step on her defender. She has an eye for goal and sends a low shot
CLEARED OFF THE LINE! As the first half winds down, Liverpool earn a corner kick on the right. Ceri Holland sends the set piece deep past the far post where it is met by Grace Fisk. The Liverpool captain’s header loops over the goalkeeper and seems bound to nestle into the bet, but Estelle Cascarino just manages to backstop the keeper and head the ball off the line. The ball goes out for another corner.
Liverpool send the next set piece in and it is headed behind for yet another corner. Well, it is clearly headed behind by a West Ham player, but the referee somehow awards a goal kick? Wow, even the announcers are calling out how obvious it is.
And of course West Ham immediately get the ball forward where Skekeira Martinez whips a dangerous ball in across the face of goal. Viviane Asseyi makes the run to the back post but the ball just squeezes past her for what would have been a touch in from close range, saving Liverpool’s blushes. That’s the last play of the half as the referee blows the whistle to send the teams to the dressing rooms.
Liverpool played decently and created some chances, but were opened up several times on the counter. Gareth Taylor has some good attacking options and Denise O’Sullivan in midfield if he needs to make some changes as the Reds chase the game.
A good early opportunity for Liverpool in the opening couple minutes of the half. Some good interplay on the right sees Risa Shimizu send Alice Bergstrom through with a ball down the right channel. Bergstrom spies the run of Beata Olsson through the middle and sends an early cross in, but the ball just evades the foot of Olsson as she stretches to touch the ball into the net.
Alejandra Bernabé stings the palms of the goalkeeper as her dangerous cross creeps towards the near post. Liverpool retain possession and shift it around to the right where Fuka Nagano uses her footwork and vision to create a bit of space. She finds Cornelia Kapocs in the center of the box, with the Swedish midfielder receiving the ball facing away from goal but taking a nice turn to get a shot away that skews wide.
Liverpool immediately get into the attack again, with Beata Olsson feeding a ball inside for the run of Ceri Holland. The Welsh winger’s attempt is just blocked out, with Alice Bergstrom following up with her own shot that also gets blocked on the way to the net.
The Reds are really ramping up the pressure now. Ceri Holland wins the ball back in the attacking half and immediately drives towards the goal. She tries an early shot that goes over the crossbar. Liverpool need to translate the pressure into a goal soon.
ANOTHER close chance in the opening 10 minutes of the half. Ceri Holland sends a ball in from the left side for the run of Cornelia Kapocs to the back post. The Swedish midfielder slides to try and get a touch, but the ball goes just past both her and the far post.
Cleared off the line again! Liverpool get forward down the left with Ceri Holland sending a cross to the far post. It is headed on goal by Cornelia Kapocs, and again the ball beats the goalkeeper but is cleared off the line by Estelle Cascarino.
Ceri Holland is cleaned out with a challenge, giving Liverpool a free kick from the left channel about 25 yards out. Gareth Taylor makes his first change of the match during the stoppage, bring on Anna Josendal for her second WSL appearance of the season as she replaces Alice Bergstrom.
The free kick is initially defended, and then the ball is deflected behind for a corner kick. The ball in is partially cleared, but Liverpool retain possession and get another good ball into the box. Nothing comes of it and the Reds have to recycle possession all the way back to the midfield line.
Yet again it is Holland and Bernabé combining down the left to cause problems for West Ham. Holland plays it just a little long for Bernabé, but the Spaniard races forward to keep it in play and earn a corner. The Reds are whistled for a foul as the corner kick is sent in, however.