Goals from Katie Stengel and Ceri Holland helped Liverpool ease past West Ham to claim just their second Women's Super League victory of the season.
Liverpool came into Sunday's clash looking to extend their unbeaten run to four games in all competitions, with the Reds having lost just one of their four previous Barclays WSL meetings with the Hammers. However, Paul Konchesky's side travelled to Merseyside in the hopes of securing a fifth WSL win of the season, while Liverpool had failed to register a league win since their opening day encounter with Chelsea.
Matt Beard made two changes from the side that drew at Reading, with Rachael Laws replacing Eartha Cumings in goal and Gilly Flaherty coming back into the heart of the defence. The visitors made just one change from their last-gasp win over Leicester City, with Izzy Atkinson coming in for Claudia Walker and defender Hawa Cissoko returning to the bench after serving a five-game suspension.
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Captain Niamh Fahey led the Reds out at Prenton Park, becoming just the third women's player to reach a milestone 100 appearances for the club. And the hosts made the perfect start to the contest, Ceri Holland pickpocketing the West Ham defence inside the area and slotting the ball home to put Liverpool 1-0 up inside three minutes.
Emma Koivisto could have made it two after Shanice van de Sanden's venomous cross cannoned into her path; MacKenzie Arnold making a superb stop to keep the Finn out. Liverpool did double their lead after 20 minutes, Katie Stengel nestling the ball into the bottom corner to register her sixth goal of the season and give the Reds some breathing space.
Holland nearly made it three on the 40 minute mark but her curling shot was palmed away by Arnold to keep the visitors in the game before Stengel blazed her late effort over the bar. Liverpool went into the break having enjoyed the lion's share of possession, with 15 shots compared to West Ham's zero.
And the Reds carried that momentum into the second half; Lawley's goal-bound effort hooked away by Kate Longhurst before the Liverpool winger saw her inch-perfect cross turned just over the bar by Van de Sanden. The vistors pressed to find a way back into the game, with captain Dagny Brynjarsdottir forcing Laws into a decent save after 77 minutes.
Liverpool substitute Yana Daniels nearly put the game to bed but her looping header was tipped over the bar by Arnold. However, the two goals were enough to see Liverpool pick up the three points and secure their first league win since September.
The Reds will be back in action at Prenton Park on Wednesday when they take on Manchester City in the Continental League Cup.
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