'The performance is irrelevant. We had to find a way to win.' – Brighton's Chris Roberts reflects on stoppage-time defeat to West Ham
Stunning goals from Brighton's Kiko Seike and Manuela Vanegas proved futile as a late West Ham comeback condemned the Seagulls to a 3-2 defeat at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
While it looked as though Brighton were to claim all three points after an emphatic 63rd-minute strike from Manuela Vanegas doubled the visitors’ advantage, Hammers substitute Ffion Morgan proved West Ham’s late gamechanger.
The forward’s cross-cum-shot provided a lifeline for the Hammers, her delivery looping over Chiamaka Nnadozie despite the goalkeeper’s best efforts to claw the ball away from goal.
Just four minutes later, West Ham’s Shekiera Martinez was gifted an opportunity to level the score after the Nigerian fired the ball into the striker’s path in an attempt to clear a long ball out of play.
The German forward took full advantage of Nnadozie’s misjudgement, directing her first-time strike past the trailing Albion defenders and into the empty net.
Martinez was indeed also involved in the hosts’ 92nd-minute matchwinner with the forward’s cross being struck toward goal by Riko Ueki before winger Viviane Asseyi volleyed home on the rebound to send those in claret and blue into pandemonium.
It was arguably a deserved victory for the Hammers after proving the more threatening side, with a tap-in chance squandered by Martinez in the first half after getting her feet in a fumble. An impressive free-kick from Asseyi was also only to be denied by a superb leaping save from Nnadozie.
Brighton, meanwhile, had largely struggled to create with their taliswoman Kiko Seike putting the Seagulls ahead with an audacious lob five minutes before the end of the half.
The Japan international latched onto a ball over the top from her compatriot, Moeka Minami, to claim her sixth goal of the WSL season on yet another disappointing afternoon for the Albion.
Consecutive WSL defeats sees the side remain in seventh on 17 points, with Brighton hosting world champions Arsenal on Sunday at Broadfield Stadium (kick-off 2:30pm).
Following his side’s defeat, Brighton interim head coach Chris Roberts said: “I think on days like today it’s not about the performance, it’s about getting the result.
“The performance is irrelevant. We had to find a way to win and we got ourselves in a brilliant position being 2-0 with 10 minutes to go and yeah we’ve shot ourselves in the foot.
“It’s a really disappointing end to the game, really avoidable goals.”
On why the tie shifted: “No (I don’t think it was our substitutes). We scored another goal after making our changes to go 2-0 up. We looked really comfortable and looked like we were going to score a third goal.
“It was just a few moments in the game and all of a sudden it’s 2-2 and they have full momentum swinging at that point, the crowd’s behind them.
“When you play away from home, you have to manage certain moments in the game much better.
“We have to take the learnings from the last two games into what will be a very, very tough game against Arsenal next weekend.”