Match reportLFC Women lose to West Ham in penultimate pre-season friendly

Sunday’s game at the AXA Melwood Training Centre, played a fortnight before the Reds’ Barclays Women’s Super League opener against Everton, was decided by goals by Ffion Morgan and Seraina Piubel (two).

Rafaela Borggrafe made a good save from Camila Saez at the end of an early West Ham counter-attack, before Cornelia Kapocs – who had been found by a Gemma Evans pass – was denied at the other end by a block by Ines Belloumou.

Just after the half-hour mark, the visitors took the lead as Morgan finished after being set free by a ball over the top.

Kapocs lost her footing at an inopportune moment having beaten two defenders inside the penalty area and Piubel’s quickfire brace early in the second half secured victory for the Hammers.

Piubel curled home her first after being fed in the box by Riko Ueki and then finished following an impressive move down the West Ham left.

Fuka Nagano was introduced on the hour for her first minutes of pre-season and Jenna Clark went close to scoring with a late header, but there was no way back for Gareth Taylor’s side.

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Team

Liverpool: Borggrafe, Fisk (Parry, 60), Evans (Burgess, 60), Clark, Bonner, Maclean (Andrews, 79), Kerr (Cartmell, 79), Holland (Maddocks, 60), Höbinger (Nagano, 60), Enderby (Kiernan, 60), Kapocs (Duffy, 60).

Unused subs: Kirby, McHugh.

Next up

Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly takes place on Sunday August 31 when they travel to St. Andrew’s to take on Birmingham City (2pm BST kick-off).