Liverpool FC Women 1, West Ham 0: Kiernan Strike Seals Win For Reds
Liverpool were on top for much of the match, with the Leanne Kiernan bagging her first WSL goal to give the Reds the lead. Liverpool held on for their first league win of the calendar year.
Liverpool 1 - 0 West Ham
Liverpool: Kiernan 33’
West Ham:
Pre-Match
Liverpool return to league play after hammering the Hammers 5-0 on Wednesday in a cup match. The Reds look to take the positive vibes and continue them on after starting the calendar year with a very disappointing loss to Leicester City last weekend.
Matt Beard has a mostly healthy squad finally, though some key players are still returning to full fitness. Fuka Nagano starts on the bench after dealing with a fever during the week, and Sophie Roman Haug has not been given the green light for a full 90 minutes as of yet. Marie Höbinger returns to her regular starting midfield spot, and Leanne Kiernan is given the not to partner with Olivia Smith up top.
First Half
Liverpool are up to their old tricks early in the match as Gemma Evans passes the ball directly to a West Ham player deep in her own half despite no pressure. The Reds manage to scramble the ball away, but not a great sign to yet again be so poor with their passing in the defensive third.
Sam Kerr earns a free kick deep on the left side of the attacking half, almost to the corner flag. Marie Höbinger drives the free kick in and it pops out to Olivia Smith. The Canadian dribbles into the box and drives a shot towards goal, but it is blocked out for a corner.
The resulting ball in was a great one, with goalkeeper Kinga Szemik forced to attempt to punch the ball clear. It drops to two Liverpool attackers in the six yard box, but they collide with one another as the ball bounces around. Liverpool do eventually get the ball back, but Gemma Evans cannot get clean contact on her shot and it is easily claimed by the keeper.
Liverpool are moving the ball around well and earn a corner kick through Lucy Parry. The ball is again punched clear by Szemik, and this time the Reds miss out on regaining possession as West Ham look to counter. Grace Fisk tries to step in and tackle the ball away, but she clearly goes across the body of the West Ham player and sends her tumbling. Fisk is shown a yellow card for the foul.
Oof, West Ham almost with a sensational goal. They work the ball down the right flank, with both Taylor Hinds and Gemma Evans failing to win the ball. A cross is sent to the left side, and Viviane Asseyi goes for an audacious flying scissor kick. The ball loops just over the crossbar and lands on top of the net.
Liverpool work the ball down the left wing, with Taylor Hinds driving a low ball into the box. It is pushed out to the top of the box and Sam Kerr steps up and drives a shot goalward. It is hit with great power, but goes just over the crossbar.
West Ham get the ball forward to Asseyi with a simple ball over the top. The winger drives down the left channel and advances on goal. She tries to drive a ball across the face of goal with attackers making runs, but Teagan Michah does a fantastic job to get down and block the ball.
For the third or fourth time today, Liverpool make a terrible error in the back, resulting in a chance for West Ham. Grace Fisk is slow on the ball as it comes to her, and Shekiera Martinez charges forward and nips the ball off of her foot. Martinez skews her effort wide of the post, but Liverpool will eventually be punished if they keep turning the ball over like this.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! Rather than lumping a cross into the box, Ceri Holland plays a brilliant ball from the top corner of the box on the left side along the ground to the six yard box. Leanne Kiernan made the run to get there and flicks it past the goalkeeper! That is Leanne Kiernan’s first goal in the WSL.
The Reds are immediately back on the attack, with Holland again looking to replicate her play down the left wing. She squares the ball and it runs past a couple of defenders and an attacker. Lucy Parry is there on the back side of the play, but she had just overrun the ball and could not control it
Oh no, big clash of heads for Olivia Smith and Oona Siren. The ball had looped up into the air and Smith clearly got to it first to head it away. Siren came in quite late from the opposite direction and absolutely cleans out Smith with both the head and the body. The referee shows Siren a yellow card when she gets back to her feet. Smith stays down for another minute of treatment before she can walk off the pitch under her own power. Smith is able to return to the pitch a moment later.
Late corner for Liverpool after good work by Olivia Smith. The Reds work a set play, shifting it to Lucy Parry in the left channel. She delivers a good ball into the box and a couple of Liverpool players challenge for the ball and one gets a flick on, but the ball rolls just past the far post.
There will be five minutes of extra time after a couple of stoppages for injuries. Liverpool look to keep the advantage on their side as Olivia Smith again drives forward and fires a shot towards goal. It takes a slight deflection and goes out for a corner. The ball in is again a good one, and Jenna Clark is first to get her head to it, but again it goes just wide of the far post.
Neither side can generate any additional attacks during the rest of the extra time at the end of the first half. Liverpool have not been perfect by any stretch, but have looked much better over all and have done well to string some good passages of play together. They’ll take a deserved lead into the break, now we’ll have to see if they can see the match out rather than capitulate in the second half as has happened all to often this season.
Second Half
No changes at the half for either side. With a very strong bench, there will likely be some changed by Matt Beard a little later in the second half.
Olivia Smith drives forward with the ball down the left channel. She looks to cut the ball back for the run of Leanne Kiernan, but it is blocked out for a corner. Höbinger swings in another fantastic delivery and finds the head of Jenna Clark at the back post. The towering defender tries to flick it on rather than put it back across the goal, and the ball skims past the far post.
Liverpool do well to shift the ball forward to Ceri Holland and then inside to Leanne Kiernan. The Irish striker creates a sliver of space and fires a shot off from the top of the box, but it flies just over the crossbar.
Matt Beard makes his first change of the match. New loan signing Julia Bartel steps onto the home pitch for Liverpool for the first time in place of Marie Höbinger. The Austrian midfielder played will, and put in some fantastic set piece deliveries, but Beard is likely managing her minutes after missing an extended period of time with an injury.
Off the crossbar for the Reds! Ceri Holland charges forward with the ball and feeds it to Lucy Parry on the right. Parry whips in a great delivery to the far post and picks out the run of Taylor Hinds. The Liverpool captain side-foots it first time and the ball skims off the crossbar and back out. Liverpool regain possession and look to continue the attack, but can only get a weak shot off.
Liverpool earn another corner, but play is stopped for a couple of substitutions. Sophie Roman Haug comes on for Leanne Kiernan while Yana Daniels for Lucy Parry. According to Natasha Dowie and Steve Hunter on the broadcast, Parry is still managing the achilles issue that kept her out for a few months and is not fit for a full 90 minutes.
Liverpool have had 13 shots to West Ham’s 5, but the match still feels like it is on a knife’s edge midway through the second half. Would really love the Reds to put away one of their chances to add some cushion to the lead.
Julia Bartel has been good with her pressing since coming on, and does well to step up and nick the ball off of a West Ham defender to earn a throw in. Liverpool cannot keep the ball off of the throw and Olivia Smith puts in a physical tackle. She is shown a yellow card for her efforts.
Julia Bartel wins a header in the Liverpool half and takes a blow to the head from a West Ham player. The referee immediately blows the whistle to stop play so Bartel can be seen to. She is able to get up after a minute and continue.
The referee needs to get a handle on this match. West Ham are throwing in some body blows disguised as a challenge. Olivia Smith is taken down yet again with a poor tackle. It is given as a foul, but tempers are flaring.
Fuka Nagano comes on as the last substitute for Liverpool. She replaces Same Kerr as the holding midfielder.
Olivia Smith shows great strength to hold off a defender despite being hauled down after collecting a flick on from Sophie Roman Haug. Smith gets the ball to Fuka Nagano, who sprays it wide to Yana Daniels. The right wing back looks to put a cross in, but it ends up drifting towards the goal and is about to drop under the crossbar, forcing Szemik to palm it over the goal.
Gemma Evans fails to step up to win a ball, instead allowing an attacker to collect the ball and drive towards the end line. Evans throws in a slide tackle to poke the ball out for a corner. Liverpool initially clear the ball, but Olivia Smith takes an elbow to the nose when trying to get the ball fully out of the box. The referee misses the call and West Ham earn another corner. Liverpool get it out of their half for a moment, but the Hammers come right back down and earn two more corners in quick succession. The Reds hold, but barely.
Grace Fisk with an essential header to deny a goal. She rises up between two West Ham players to head it clear from just a couple yards outside of her goal.
Yiiiikes, Liverpool almost concede at the death after West Ham earn yet another corner. The delivery curls in towards the goal and Teagan Micah flails to get something on the ball to keep it out. The ball falls to Riko Ueki, but the striker blazes the ball over the goal.
We will have four minutes of extra time. Liverpool now lumping the ball anywhere they can as long as it is away from their goal.
And the final whistle goes, giving Liverpool their first league win of 2025!
Final Thoughts
Liverpool played well enough to deserve the win, with an extremely well worked goal finished off by Leanne Kiernan in the first half. The Reds again failed to make the most of their chances, however, and missed out on making it a comfortable win. Instead, they allowed West Ham to hang around and battle, forcing some late chances that were luckily dealt with.
Liverpool will take on Rugby Borough next Sunday in the fifth round of the FA Women’s Cup. The Reds will return to league play with a tough match at Manchester City in two weeks time.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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