Report: Palace Women fall to defeat away at West Ham

Summary:

• Kaminski makes one change as Hayley Nolan comes in for Josie Green
• Blanchard picks up the ball in space and releases Gejl who slots past the goalkeeper
• Ueki flashes a shot wide of the right post
• Riley doubles the lead as her shot deceives everyone in the West Ham box
• Yañez gets down really well to keep out a stunning effort from Asseyi
• Asseyi taps in at the back post after a quick West Ham breakaway
• The West Ham goalkeeper spills the ball but Blanchard can't keep her effort down
• A fortunate deflection from Piubel's strike levels the game up
• Pavi makes it three for the hosts after she latches on to a long ball
• HT: West Ham 3- 2 Palace
• Pavi evades the Palace defence, but her shot is straight at Yañez
• Gejl whips in a dangerous corner but no Palace player can get on the end of it
• West Ham manage to break but Nolan is able to snuff out the counter-attack
• Stengel receives the ball, spins and shoots brilliantly but Szemik is equal to it
• Ueki's header is blocked on the line by the Palace defence
• Denton seals the points for the home side with an accurate finish into the far corner
• Palace fail to clear and Gorry makes it five
• FT: West Ham 5 - 2 Palace

It was a goal-fest in East London with both sides scoring seemingly at will.

There was plenty of rotation from the previous Women's League Cup game against Charlton, with Hayley Nolan being handed her first WSL start for Palace.

Palace got off to a dream start five minutes in, as Player of the Month Annabel Blanchard found herself in a pocket of space and released Mille Gejl on the left wing.

Gejl drove at the West Ham goal and placed her shot beyond Kinga Szemik to make it 1-0.

Six minutes later and Palace had their second of the game.

My Cato battled to win the ball back and found Indiah-Paige Riley on the right wing, who's left-footed shot deceived everyone in the West Ham box and nestled in the bottom left corner.

West Ham pulled one back on 17 minutes however, with Viviane Asseyi racing in at the back post to tap home Seraina Piubel's cross.

Moments later and Blanchard could have restored Palace's two goal advantage, but she couldn't keep her effort down.

The home side managed to level things on 36 minutes as Piubel got in behind the Palace defence and finished at the near post.

West Ham then took the lead just before half time as Manuela Pavi reacted first to a long ball over the Palace defence.

Palace threatened in the second half, with Katie Stengel unlucky not to restore parity on the hour mark.

The forward received the ball in the box, turned brilliantly and struck a well-hit shot that was matched by the 'keeper's save.

West Ham should have put the game out of sight on 80 minutes but Riko Ueki's header was blocked on the line by Aimee Everett.

They made up for this missed chance moments later, as Anouk Denton finished well from outside the box on 82 minutes and put the game to bed.

Gorry then made it 5-2 after Palace failed to clear a West Ham attack.

Despite again scoring two away from home, Palace ended up with no points in a 5-2 defeat at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

This result means Palace stay at the bottom of the WSL table. Next up for the Eagles is Manchester United at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton.

West Ham: Szemik (GK), Smith, Siren, Tysiak, Ueki, Pavi (Harries, 68), Zadorsky, Denton, Skeels, Asseyi, Gorry, Piubel

Subs not used: M.Walsh (GK), Bergman Lundin, Brynjarsdóttir, Sáez, Cooke, Mengwen, Houssein, S.Walsh

Palace: Yañez (GK), Veje, Cato, Everett, Blanchard, Potter, Gejl (Pritchard, 80), Riley (Weerden, 62), Woodham, Stengel, Nolan (Sharpe, 74)

Subs not used: Majasaari (GK), Gibbons, Arthur, Larkin, Atkinson