Match reportLFC Women beaten by West Ham in Continental Cup

The quarter-final fixture began on an even footing at Prenton Park as both sides looked to dominate early possession.

It was the Hammers who worked the first action of the night, with Faye Kirby twice saving from Viviane Asseyi to keep the scores level inside the opening 20 minutes.

The visiting attacker was initially met by the goalkeeper as she attempted to lift a through ball into the net, before quick reactions a short while later kept an acrobatic effort at bay.

Liverpool responded with Katie Stengel making her presence felt in the opposition box, heading over the bar under pressure inside the six-yard area.

On the stroke of half-time, Honoka Hayashi dragged a low shot wide of the goal for West Ham in what was the best move of the first half.

Following the interval, Missy Bo Kearns saw two efforts blocked inside the area before later feeding Stengel into the box who drew a low save.

The American forward had the ball in the back of the net after the hour mark, finishing with a clever half-volley following a Kearns free-kick though an offside flag cut celebrations short.

Substitute Sofie Lundgaard also went close to breaking the deadlock in the final 10 minutes, seeing a clever save from Mackenzie Arnold deny her advances.

It was the visitors, though, who found the all-important goal just three minutes from time - Dagny Brynjarsdottir glancing a header from a pinpoint Asseyi cross to settle the tie.

Liverpool FC Women: Kirby, Koivisto (Robe, 45), Fahey, Bonner (Furness, 90+1), Hinds, Kearns, Holland (Lundgaard, 66), Nagano (Matthews, 90+1), Lawley (Campbell, 66), Daniels, Stengel.

Unused subs: Laws, Humphrey, Taylor.