NewsWSL match report: Leanne Kiernan nets to give Liverpool victory over West Ham
Liverpool registered back-to-back victories over West Ham United by beating them 1-0 in the Barclays Women's Super League on Sunday.
Matt Beard's Reds successfully followed up the 5-0 midweek win in the Adobe Women's FA Cup thanks to Leanne Kiernan's goal at St Helens Stadium.
Kiernan's classy finish in the 33rd minute proved to be the difference and saw her move up to second place on the club's top scorers list in the WSL era.
It was clear early on that the nature of this contest would be different to the one four days before.
Indeed, the visitors went close to opening the scoring through Viviane Asseyi's bicycle kick and then a Shekiera Martinez header from a corner that went just wide.
In between those West Ham opportunities, Sam Kerr was just a bit too high with her hit from the edge of the box as the Reds displayed the attacking threat they carried for the first time.
The opener was proof of that firepower, with Kiernan beautifully flicking in Ceri Holland's low cross from the left past goalkeeper Kinga Szemik for her 22nd in all competitions since arriving in June 2021.
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Jenna Clark nearly doubled the lead either side of the break but both of the defender's efforts off corners went the wrong side of the post.
The woodwork then denied Liverpool on the hour mark when Taylor Hinds' stretch at the back post to meet Lucy Parry's whipped delivery grazed the crossbar.
Finding that second was proving to be frustrating for the hosts as Szemik tipped over a cross-turned-shot from substitute Yana Daniels 10 minutes before the end.
West Ham threatened from corners and crosses – going closest through Riko Ueki at the start of added-on time – but the Reds held firm to return to winning ways in the top flight.
Team
Liverpool: Micah, Parry (Daniels, 64), Fisk, Clark, Evans, Hinds, Kerr (Nagano, 75), Holland, Höbinger (Bartel, 58), Smith, Kiernan (Roman H., 64).
Unused subs: Laws, Kapocs, Enderby, Bonner, Shaw.
Next up
Liverpool are in action next weekend when they travel to Rugby Borough in the Women's FA Cup.
The fifth-round tie at Nationwide Windows Arena is a 12.30pm GMT kick-off on Sunday February 9 and will be broadcast by the BBC.
Ticketing information can be found here.

This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.