Marc Skinner hailed how Manchester United responded to his pre-game challenge as they romped to a dominant 3-0 win over West Ham at Leigh Sports Village.
Goals from Martha Thomas and Leah Galton alongside a Grace Fisk own goal secured all three points for the home side inside 50 minutes at Leigh Sports Village.
The result sees the Red Devils regain third position in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League table, piling the pressure back on rivals Manchester City.
And Skinner revealed how he had put the pressure on his team to show what they were made of after a frustrating goalless draw with Aston Villa last weekend.
He said: “I asked the girls to show maturity, show us without coach intervention just how far we’ve come, and I feel that cemented our fortress at home because it was a very dominant performance.
“I think we’re responsible for [last week’s draw], I’m responsible for that as their leader. To put them in moments where they can make decisions rather than it be a coach-led conversation.
“I think the players have shown they have that – they still need help, but I was really impressed with every player today.”
The hosts started quickly as both Ona Batlle and Jackie Groenen were denied by West Ham goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold inside the opening five minutes.
And they deservedly found the breakthrough in the 11th minute when Galton floated a cross into the six-yard box and Thomas nodded past the keeper.
The second goal came in the 20th minute thanks to Thomas again, as her ball across the area was diverted in by the unfortunate Fisk.
West Ham pressed high and created chances, the best of which fell to Adriana Leon who found Mary Earps alert, before Alessia Russo rippled the side netting on the stroke of half time.
And they grabbed their third four minutes after the restart – Galton sliding in at the back post to convert Russo’s wonderful cross.
Ella Toone was denied shortly after by a superb save from Arnold, as the visitors looked stunned by the hosts’ quick start, and Man United closed out the game comfortably.
But while it was a clinical attacking display from the home side, Skinner admitted he was almost more encouraged by way United shut out the visitors.
“We’ve worked hard on [defending] throughout the season and I think it’s shown,” he added.
“We’ve had a lot of clean sheets this year, so it just shows you if we have no desire to defend, you don’t deserve to win. I know we want to be ‘attack, attack, attack’.
“That’s a very common theme at Manchester United – but you have to ‘defend, defend, defend’ because sometimes you have to win 1-0, and I celebrate those moments as much as the goals.”
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