West Ham United Ladies 2 Colchester United Ladies 0
Tesco FA Premier South League.
Bill Robinson reports from Ship Lane..........
The perfect start for the Hammers here this afternoon at Ship Lane with a very confident display and a couple of hero’s, Tracy Duxbury scoring both goals and Toni-Anne Wayne in goal with a double penalty save.
The teams initially seemed equally matched, but gradually West Ham took control and started to dominate. Nina Downham was especially difficult to contain, with here runs down the right flank, creating four corners in quick succession midway through the first half.
Just before the half hour Colchester keeper Nikita Runnacles proved her worth with a magnificent save from a long range effort from Nina Downham.
Runnacles was called into action again just a few minutes later saving well again and was beginning to frustrate the Hammers attack that were now in full flow.
Not to be out down Toni-Anne Wayne the Hammers keeper who had little to do in the first half pulled of a fine save when Colchester had a rare attack, the shot came from Sian Larkin low down to Wayne right.
HT 0-0
The Hammers continued to press in the second half, looking to open their account and Becky Merritt came close on 49 minutes, the ball was played out wide to Emma Thomas from Tracy Duxbury, the cross came over and Merritt’s header went just wide.
On the hour the Colchester keeper Runnacles again produced a fine save to tip over the bar a first class shot from Gemma Shepherd.
Within a minute Colchester were testing Toni-Anne Wayne and she produced what we thought was the save of the day to turn a 25 yard effort from Meagan Doyle around the post.
On 62 minutes came the first goal, Tracy Duxbury collected the ball some 30 yards out and went on a run that took her past a couple of defenders before getting herself in position just inside the box on the right were she fired home with a shot across the keeper and into the corner of the net.
After 70 minutes Manager Julia Setford made another substitution this time replacing Nina Downham with Holly Griffin.
The change nearly lead to a second goal, within 60 seconds of her coming on Holly found herself on the edge of the Colchester box but her firm strike was well saved.
Holly Griffin proved to be just as difficult to handle as was Downham so there was no respite for the Colchester defence and on 74 minutes Holly had another strike well saved.
On 75 minutes Colchester were awarded a penalty after Rosey Sullivan brought down Helen Bass just inside the penalty area. Colchester’s Emma Sherwood stepped up to take the kick, she hit a firm shot to Toni-Anne Wayne’s left but Wayne got her hand on it and pushed the ball away, Sherwood was following up and struck another left footed shot towards goal which Wayne responded too by diving to her left and again saving and this pushed the ball away for Rosey Sullivan to finally clear.
Two minutes later the Hammers sealed the victory with a second goal, the move started with Gemma Shepherd and Emma Thomas both having efforts blocked by the Colchester defenders, but the ball fell to Tracy Duxbury about twelve yards out so she rounded the advancing keeper and tapped the ball into the net.
With only 13 minutes left on the clock and the game won West Ham held out without incident to collect a well deserved three points.
Up next for the Hammers is a double header against QPR Ladies, first in League Cup action away on Sunday 29th August, then back at Ship Lane in the League on 5th September kick off 2:00pm.
