Late heartbreak for City at West Ham | OneFootball

A stoppage time equaliser held City to a 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the Barclays Women's Super League.

Substitute Manuela Pavi cut inside on her right foot and curled into the far corner to earn the hosts a share of the spoils and dent City's top three prospects.

It looked like the Blues had done enough for the win when Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw pounced on a loose ball in the Hammers’ box to smash home from close-range.

But we were forced to settle for a point in a gritty WSL contest, having also struck the bar through Laura Wienroither and gone close through Lily Murphy.

What happened

City were looking to build on a hard-fought win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but we’d have to get past a West Ham side who’d won four of their last five home matches in the WSL.

And while chances were at a premium in the opening stages, the game was played at the sharp tempo that you’d expect from that kind of form.

The hosts had the first real sighter when captain Katrina Gorry tried her luck from distance, only to see her effort deflected over the bar.

At the other end, Kerolin Nicoli sent a teasing ball across the West Ham box after skipping through a couple of challenges, but Lily Murphy wasn’t able to make a contact at the far post.

Murphy was the next to really test Szemik just after the half hour mark when she used Kerstin Casparij’s overlap to cut inside and curl towards goal, but her effort from distance was smothered by the Hammers’ goalkeeper.

Ayaka Yamashita was busy at the other end soon after, tipping Seraina Piubel’s effort around the post at full stretch after the winger had been sent clean through on the City goal.

The Japan international was called into action again before the break, thwarting Riko Ueki after the forward met a beautifully-weighted ball into the area from the right flank.

After 20 minutes of little action, the final few attacks before half-time had sprung the game back to life with Murphy curling an effort just wide of the far post after once again cutting inside on her right.

It took until the hour mark for either side to really threaten after the restart, and it was a chance all of Jill Roord’s making.

The Dutch midfielder pinched the ball off the toe of Eva Nystrom and cut the ball back into the path of Murphy, but the youngster slightly scuffed her effort and Szemik got down well to tip away the danger.

Murphy’s replacement, Shaw, almost broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion when she tried her luck with an overhead kick, but again Szemik was equal to the effort as the 70-minute mark approached.

City went even closer soon after when Wienroither, making her first start for the Club, rifled an effort against the underside of the bar after picking up a loose ball from a corner.

The visitors were starting to dial up the pressure, as Shaw glanced a header just wide of the mark before Roord stung the palms of Szemik.

Finally, the deadlock was broken with ten to play, and it was the WSL’s leading scorer who would grab it.

A dangerous ball was lifted into the West Ham area by Mary Fowler and, when the hosts failed to deal with the cross, it was Shaw who reacted fastest to stab home.

Gareth Taylor had anticipated another difficult day at the office after our win at Spurs, where he’d praised City’s ability to ‘win ugly’ at Brisbane Road.

But three points would become just one in stoppage time as the Blues' defence was breached by a late West Ham onslaught.

Substitue Pavi had the final say, cutting inside on her left through a crowd of bodies before finding the far corner past the despairing dive of Yamashita.

Player of the Match: Laura Wienroither

Making her first start for City against the Hammers, the Austrian put in a committed display at full-back.

She was always available for the pass when the Blues had possession and was clever in how she used the ball, but off it she was sharp and tenacious, rarely putting a foot wrong.

Her effort which came crashing off the bar would’ve been just rewards for an impressive display.

How we lined up

With a demanding fixture schedule looming, Gareth Taylor made six changes from the side who beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Ayaka Yamashita started between the sticks, with a back four of Laura Wienroither, Gracie Prior, Laia Aleixandri and Kerstin Casparij in front of her.

Yui Hasegawa sat at the base of the midfield with Jess Park and Jill Roord both brought in to start at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

At the sharp end, Kerolin Nicoli and Lily Murphy started on the flanks with Mary Fowler leading the line.

West Ham XI: Szemik, Siren, Tysiak, Ueki, Nystrom (Saez 73’), Zadorsky (Ademiluyi 56’), Denton, Martinez (Pavi 46’), Gorry (C) (Brynjarsdottir 79’), Hanshaw, Piubel

Subs: Walsh, Smith, Bergman Lundin, Harries, Mengwen

City XI: Yamashita, Wienroither, Prior, Aleixandri (C), Casparij (Ouahabi 46’), Hasegawa, Park, Roord (Miedema), Kerolin Nicoli (Coombs 72’), Murphy (Shaw 66’), Fowler

Subs: Annets, Keating, Layzell, Oyama, Davies

Up next

City are back in action this weekend as we aim to beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Kick-off at the Joie Stadium is set for 12:30 (UK) on Sunday 9 March, with a spot in the last four up for grabs.

Tickets are still on sale for the encounter. Click here to grab yours.