Man City Women 5, West Ham Women 1
Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis came on and changed Manchester City’s FA Cup fortunes with a goal apiece and an assist for player of the match Lauren Hemp as they beat West Ham Women.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe hard-working Hammers had threatened to upset City in their FA Cup 5th Round encounter after they levelled equalised immediately through Anouk Denton after Ellen White had given them the lead.
Janine Beckie put City back into the lead in the first half but the Hammers continued to press City hard to force errors from the home side throughout until City boss Gareth Taylor made second half changes to bring on two American internationals in Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis.
Lavelle showcased her skill and passing range and scored to make the game safe before injury time goals by Mewis and Lauren Hemp put a gloss on the game as West Ham burned themselves out.
If this was to be the last City game for Mewis and Lavelle, with speculation surrounding a return to the NWSL for both of them before the game, then they signed off with a flourish.
It had all looked different for City who were wilting under an intense West Ham press and unforced errors until the Americans came on.
The Hammers had a Maz Pacheco shot deflected by Esme Morgan into Karima Benameur Taieb’s face after just four minutes as the Hammers started strongly.
Hemp, consistently City’s best player on the day, fired wide as City attacked and soon profited from their forward thinking.
White diverted Caroline Weir’s cross into the net past Tanya Arnold after 15 minutes to give City a great start.
West Ham responded immediately when Hawa Cissoko’s right wing cross was converted by Anouk Denton a minute later.
Dagny Brynjarsdottir was offside after trying to get ont a Kenzo Dali through ball as City looked vulnerable at the back with Benameur Taieb looking nervous.
City’s forwards looked more positive – Hemp got in behind Cissoko and crossed for Janine Beckie who blazed over.
Dali won a corner as the Hammers tried to exploit City’s left flank again.
The Hemp/Beckie combination almost created another goal but the Canadian was wayward with her shot and offside not long afterwards.
But Beckie didn’t let her misses get to her and was on the spot again to convert another Hemp cross after Ellen White couldn’t reach it.
Laura Coombs saw her shot blocked while White sent a Georgia Stanway cross wide of the back post.
Alex Greenwood and Lucy Bronze tried to flick a set piece home past the West Ham defence but the ball was cleared over the bar while Pacheco tried to get on the end of a cross from the right for West Ham and this time Taieb gratefully went for and got the ball.
And there were a couple of late chances for City to grab another goal but Beckie couldn’t capitalise.
Leanne Kiernan replaced Brynjarsdottir at the break and West Ham tried to exploit City mistakes.
Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis change Manchester City FA Cup fortunes
Denton blazed over after Keira Walsh sold Morgan short with a ball across the area and the West Ham player nipped in and almost levelled the game after 56 minutes.
Rose Lavelle was introduced for Beckie after 58 minutes but City continued to be nervous in front of their own goal with Walsh giving the ball away again.
Kiernan hit the crossbar with a shot and City escaped a penalty shout as the West Ham substitute tried to get to the rebound.
Morgan gave the ball away with a loose pass and Dali forced a save out of Taieb who was also grateful to the woodwork as the Hammers continued to press for the second ball.
Lavelle tried to find White with a cross but a bad touch took the ball away.
Sam Mewis replaced Coombs after 65 minutes and City started putting some decent passes together.
White tried to find Hemp at the back post and won a corner after 71 minutes, while Pacheco’s shot was saved by Taieb.
But City finally put in their third after Mewis found Lavelle who raced upfield and finished with aplomb past Arnold to make it 3-1 with 15 minutes to go.
Lavelle found Hemp with a raking cross, the winger tried to centre it again only for Gilly Flaherty to clear.
Mewis had two attempts to finish off the Hammers at the end of another barnstorming run but her shot and the rebound were bravely saved by Arnold.
Maisy Barker replaced Kiernan for the last few minutes after injury forced off the Hammers substitute.
Lavelle struck a late shot high and wide and both she and Mewis had shots blocked on the line before the American volleyed home Lauren Hemp’s cross after it took a deflection off a West Ham player’s hand.
The goal rush wasn’t finished though and Lavelle crossed to Hemp who drilled it home into the top corner for a deserved goal of her own just before the final whistle as City comfortably saw out the last game of the current season and advanced into quarter finals of the FA Cup.
GOALS – Man City Women 5, West Ham Women 1
Man City Women 1, West Ham Women 0: 15. Ellen White’s touch diverted Alex Greenwood’s free kick past Mackenzie Arnold.
Man City Women 1, West Ham Women 1: 16. Anouk Denton headed home the equaliser immediately after Hawa Cissoko’s lofted right wing cross left Karima Benameur Taieb stranded on her line.
Man City Women 2, West Ham Women 1: 39. Janine Beckie was at the back post again to convert Lauren Hemp’s cross after Ellen White could not reach it.
Man City Women 3, West Ham Women 1: 75. Rose Lavelle was sent clean through by Sam Mewis and picked her spot well to beat Mackenzie Arnold at the end of her solo run.
Man City Women 4, West Ham Women 1: 90+2. Sam Mewis volleyed home after a West Ham player had handled Lauren Hemp’s cross into the box.
West Ham Women 5, West Ham Women 1: 90+4. Rose Lavelle turned provider, crossing for Lauren Hemp to find the top corner.
MATCH STATS – Man City Women 5, West Ham Women 1
Man City Women: Taieb Benameur, Bronze, Morgan, Greenwood, Stanway, Walsh, Coombs (Mewis 65), Weir, Beckie (Lavelle 58), Hemp, White (C)
Man City Women subs not used: Keating, Davies, Dahlkemper, Park
Goals: White 15; Beckie 39; Lavelle 75; Mewis 90+2; Hemp 90+4
West Ham Women: Arnold, Cissoko, Flaherty (C), Fisk, Vetterlein, Pacheco, van Egmond, Longhurst, Denton, Brynjarsdottir (Kiernan 46, Barker 83), Dali (Mustafa 90+1)
West Ham Women subs not used: Brosnan
Goal: Denton 16