Man Utd 4-0 West Ham

FROM OLD TRAFFORD – Manchester United secured what was ultimately a comfortable 4-0 win over West Ham in the WSL on Saturday evening, but it took a flurry of second goals to get the job done.

Katie Zelem broke the deadlock from the penalty spot shortly after half-time, before game-changing substitute Lucia Garcia scored twice either side of one from Hayley Ladd.

United made a dominant start and on a few occasions worked the ball into good areas on the flanks and in the wide channels. The best of those openings saw Ona Batlle cross to Alessia Russo, whose side-footed volley missed the target from front and centre.

Russo looked to be through moments later after a clever flick from Nikita Parris, but Hammers defender Grace Fisk got a vital toe to the ball and shut down the chance.

The atmosphere was much flatter than might have been expected for an occasion such as this, but the crowd united in their disapproval of referee Emily Heaslip’s decision not to award a penalty when Ladd went down from a Hawa Cissoko nudge. In the immediate aftermath, the same United player crossed from the right, but Leah Galton headed straight at Mackenzie Arnold.

Another penalty appeal came and went in the closing stages of the first half when it was Galton who went down chasing a long ball. Again, cries from the crowd, again Heaslip was un-moved.

Despite some opportunities, United hadn’t done enough to properly test Arnold by the break, while West Ham’s only real sight of goal by then came in an earlier scramble with a cross into the six-yard box – the only outcome was Mary Earps needing lengthy treatment for a foot injury.

But United came out with a little more vigour after the restart. Russo fired just over with a bullet header, while Galton couldn’t stretch far enough to connect with a cross from the right. But it ended up being Zelem from the spot that broke the deadlock during that spell, sending Arnold the wrong way after Russo’s legs had been taken by the sliding Cissoko.

The second goal shortly after the hour was the result of a higher tempo and more intensity in the press. Hammers full-back Risa Shimizu was caught on the ball and before the visitors knew it, the ball was in the net, with Ella Toone spotting the run of Garcia in behind Cissoko and the substitute calmly finishing beyond the reach of Arnold – there was no hint of offside.

Having not been at their best earlier on, United were cruising by the late stages. West Ham’s resistance was broken and the…