Everton 2-0 West Ham United: Martina Piemonte and Aurora Galli seal WSL home win

Everton earned their first Women’s Super League home win of the season thanks to late goals from Martina Piemonte and Aurora Galli.

Piemonte then teed up fellow Italian Galli with four minutes to go and she lashed a powerful effort into the top corner. Everton ended a run of four straight WSL defeats with the victory at Walton Hall Park.

West Ham began the game more confidently and Katrina Gorry flashed an early low shot just past the post. Moments later Viviane Asseyi thought she had put the Hammers in front with an effort at the back post before it was hooked away by Megan Finnigan, only for the officials to decide there was an infringement. Everton passed the ball intelligently in the first half but too frequently their fine build-up play would amount to little and they failed to really test Mackenzie Arnold in West Ham’s goal. Riko Ueki went close for the Hammers on the stroke of half-time but her ambitious shot from the corner of the box missed by a matter of inches. Both sides made changes in the second half with the lively Kristie Mewis a threat for the Hammers with her directness. With the game seemingly heading for stalemate, Everton snatched the points. Galli lifted a high ball into the box from a free-kick and 74th-minute substitute Piemonte climbed highest to head the ball over the flat-footed Arnold. There was nothing Arnold could have done about Everton’s second shortly afterwards as Galli cut inside from the right flank and fired in a stunning effort. The only negative for Everton boss Brian Sorensen was a serious injury to substitute Karoline Olesen, who was taken off on a stretcher, which resulted in a lengthy delay in added time.

More to follow.