Frustration as weather halts West Ham Ladies promotion bid

As the West Ham Ladies prepare to take to the pitch again after their Christmas break, there is an air of frustration amongst the squad still hoping to secure promotion this season.

The Ladies resume their season on Sunday in a cup game against London Corinthians but they will have to wait until the following week to return to league action.

The Ladies are currently fifth in the Premier League Southern Division but have only played seven games so far this season while their promotion rivals have all played more.

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Their four wins, one draw and two defeats means they are currently eight points adrift from leaders Reading but the Ladies can cut this to two points by winning their games in hand.

Their last league outing on November 18 saw them thrash Tottenham Hotspur Ladies 3-0 but the bad weather saw the rest of their games for 2012 called off and prevented them continuing their unbeaten run heading into Christmas.

Speaking exclusively to Blowing Bubbles, centre back Danica Revell said: “It has been really annoying to not have played since November. We thought all the games were going to go ahead on the day and got all ready to go only to then get the call to say the game was off.

“It has been very frustrating for all of us because we want to be out there winning games. Despite this, we’ve still been training hard and doing a lot of fitness but it isn’t the same as actually playing games and having match fitness.”

She added: “We’re still fighting for promotion and, I believe, we will get it if we keep putting in the hard effort and ensure we play to the high standards we know we are capable of.”

Meanwhile forward Becky Merritt added: “We are currently sitting in fifth but we’ve only played seven games while others have played like 10 or 12. So providing we capitalize on these games in hand, our bid for promotion is still on course.

“It’s been massively frustrating to not play but we were quite lucky that over the Christmas period we were able to train indoors at Chadwell Health which which I hope will give us a huge advantage when we start playing again in the New Year.

“We hit a good run of form before the games started being called off so I am now hoping we can hit the ground running in the New Year and start getting the wins we need.”

She added: “The positives from the first half of the season have to be the youngsters coming through and the signings we have made.

“The negatives, for me, were the lack of games and our loss against Millwall on the opening game of the season.

“The latter is something which has bugged me all season and something I hope to put right when we play them again.”

“I’ll fight for my place” vows West Ham Ladies winger Zoe Lipley-Hinton

When re-joining the West Ham Ladies in the summer, young winger Zoe Lipley-Hinton thought she would spend most of the season in the reserves.

But after impressing in pre-season, the 18-yearold was promoted to the first team and given her chance in the starting line-up.

Following several solid performances, which also saw her score against Colchester United in the League Cup, her teammates were full of praise for Zoe and a regular spot in the starting XI looked certain.

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But during the Ladies thumping victory against Spurs last month, Zoe twisted her knee and now faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines while others get a chance to shine.

“There are a lot of players in the team who are good enough to step in and take my place so I will have to do my best to get back into the team,” she said. But to be honest I’ve really enjoyed playing with the first team and apart from my goal, my highlight this season has just been starting games.

“I honestly didn’t think I would get this chance because I had just come up from the reserves and thought I’d be on the bench but I was delighted to be able to show what I can do and start matches.”

It looks unlikely the teenager will play competitively for the Ladies this year with their final game of 2012 being Reading away on December 16 but that’s not something she is too worried about.

Zoe continued: “I thought the step up to the first team was difficult because it was much faster but I didn’t have anything to lose or anything to prove so I just gave everything I could in every game.

“I have also been lucky in that players like Bex [Merritt] give me a lot of advice. Her runs are very good and that is one thing I am working on and she helps me with this part of my game.”

She added: “I feel like I bring good work rate to the team and that I always want to put in a good shift.”

West Ham Ladies are next playing at home on Sunday, December 9 against Queen’s Park Rangers in the FA Womens’ Premier League Southern Division. The game kicks off at 2pm.

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

West Ham Ladies midfielder Lindsey Morgan staying on until Ladies are promoted

During the summer of 2011, Lindsey Morgan decided the upcoming season would be her last and aimed to leave on a high with the West Ham Ladies securing promotion.

Fast forward to the end of the 2011/12 campaign and the Ladies missed out on promotion by the narrowest of margins, leaving the retiring midfielder devastated.

But a few conversations with manager Julia Setford and other experienced players in the Ladies’ squad and the 32-year-old decided to postpone her retirement for another season to help her side get promotion.

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And this season, Lindsey has helped to spearhead the Ladies’ push for promotion, netting three goals in the opening seven matches.

“I stayed on because I think we are going to get promoted this season,” she told Blowing Bubbles. “The girls really want to do it this season and I think I would have been gutted not to have been part of our push for promotion this season.

“I have scored more goals so far this season than I did for the whole of last season and I feel like I am playing pretty decent stuff. Of course it gives me more confidence to be scoring goals for the team, but for me, providing assists for my team mates to score goals is just as important as scoring them myself.”

The goals scored by Lindsey has helped the Hammers grab ten early points from a possible 18 already this season.

And she knows that the beginning of the season will indicate where the team should be aiming for at the end of the season.

“It is massively important to get off to a good start in the league because the first few months are the foundation for how the season shapes up,” she continued

“Having a solid defence is also important, but the defending starts from the front. It is equally as important that we work together as a team.”

Lindsey rejoined West Ham United last summer from Millwall Lionesses, who she joined from the Hammers back in August 2009.

She continued: “This season we’ve got a few new faces and at the moment I feel we have a good mixture of experience and youth.

“In some games we’ve needed the older ones to take the game by the scruff of the neck and help give the younger ones some guidance.

“But the young girls in our squad have that desire and hunger to get stuck in and fight for the win and I think gives us a bit of an edge.”

She added: “I really want to stay until we get promoted because I feel like I’ve got unfinished business here because we’ve been so close in the past and I don’t want to go without helping achieve this.”

West Ham Ladies are next playing at home on Sunday, November 18 against Tottenham in the FA Womens’ Premier League
Southern Division The game kicks off at 2pm.

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

West Ham Ladies striker April Bowers hoping for a shower of goals

West Ham Ladies striker April Bowers has vowed to fire her side towards promotion this season.

The 18-year-old bagged the winner in the Ladies’ league game against Tottenham Hotspur which was also her first game back from an ankle injury.

And with her fitness picking up all the time, she has now set herself a goals target and hopes to make strides into that this weekend.

She said: “I wouldn’t say I’m 100pc fit at the moment but I’m getting there and my ankle feels good so I can’t wait to play this Sunday.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“It was annoying to have been out so early in the season particularly as I felt my fitness was good and I was happy with how I was playing.

“We’ve been playing a 4-3-3 system this season and I’ve been playing out wide, up top – like an old school winger – and I love it because I love scoring goals. “I have set myself a target of getting at least 15 goals this season and help us really challenge for promotion.”

But she continued: “I wouldn’t say there is pressure on any one person to score all the goals and at the minute we are all chipping in with goals.

“Bex [Merritt] has got a few goals already, as has Lindsay [Morgan], and although I love scoring, it is nice when one of the other girls scores too.

“To be honest it doesn’t really matter where they are coming from, as long as the goals are going in and we are winning games that is all that matters.”

She added: “Bex [Merritt] has been one of the outstanding players so far this season. She is also always helping me and talking to me and trying to build my confidence.”

This season is the second the striker has played with the first team having come through the juniors and reserve sides.

She continued: “I love playing in the first team. I remember when I first started playing with the first team, I found it so fast but now I feel I have made the step up.

“It is a big step from the reserves to the first team but there are few girls who could come up and get into the squad and I hope they get their chance to.”

Asked how she thinks the Ladies’ season is going, April replied: “I think the season is going well so far.

“Losing out first game to Millwall was a bad start but we’ve picked ourselves up from that and we are all gelling well as a team and working hard in training.”

West Ham Ladies are next playing at home on Sunday, November 11 against Colchester United in the FA Womens’ Premier League Southern Division The game kicks off at 2pm.

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

Captain Rosey Sullivan's plea for West Ham Ladies to maintain unbeaten run

West Ham Ladies captain Rosey Sullivan has called on her teammates to pick up maximum points in their next two games and extend their unbeaten run in the league to six games.

The 20-year-old has been in impressive form of late and has formed a strong partnership with fellow centre half Danica Revell which has helped the Ladies pick up 10 points in their last four games.

The pairing looked particularly strong against Tottenham Hotspur Ladies’ pacy forwards earlier this month, keeping a clean sheet as the Hammers ran out 1-0 winners.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

Rosey said: “It was a great win against Tottenham and a great team performance. I felt we really clicked as a team for the first time this season and I was, obviously, delighted with the clean sheet.

“I didn’t play in the last game against Tottenham in the league cup which we lost but I was told their wingers were brilliant that night and I thought we did well to keep them quiet.

“We’ve now got Lewes and Yeovil in the league which I think are both very winnable games for us. We will go into both these games pushing for all three points and we have to keep the same fighting attitude for ever y game.”

She added: “All games in this league are a battle and both Lewes and Yeovil are big sides and quite aggressive so I’m hoping we can get the ball down and play around them.”

This is Rosey’s first season as captain but admits it’s a role she loves and wants to keep for the rest of the season.

Referring to her partnership with Danica, she continued: “I think this is the third season we have played together now and I love having her next to me. We both went to the same academy - Leyton Orient Centre of Excellence – so we were taught to play the same way which has helped us to forge this partnership.

“I feel she does the same job as me and stops me from worrying because I know she’s got my back. She is the only centre back I’ve really enjoyed playing with because she is such a strong player and I think people like the way we play together.

Hopefully we can continue to play well together.”

The captain has also been impressed by the performances of goalkeeper Toni Anne Wayne this season.

She continued: “It’s great to play in front of Toni. She has been a big player for us so far this season, pulling off some great saves and she is always talking to me.

She added: “Her penalty save in the Tottenham game was brilliant. I was amazed she managed to get there because it was right in the corner and that save was really the difference between us getting three points and just one.”

West Ham Ladies are playing at home to Lewes in the FA Womens’ Premier League Southern Division on Sunday. The game kicks off at 2pm.

The Ladies play their home games at Thurrock FC, Ship Lane, Grays, Essex, RM19 1YN.

Best is yet to come from West Ham Ladies midfielder Stacey Little

Ask the West Ham Ladies who has been their best player so far this season and midfielder Stacey Little would top most of their lists but the 25-year-old has vowed the best is still to come from her.

The former Charlton Athletic player has started every game for the Ladies so far this season and even bagged a goal in the League Cup – a goal she confesses is probably one of the best she has ever scored.

“I’m very tough on myself,” she said. “I expect to have a great game every week but I would rather play average and win then have a great game and lose because we’re determined to get promoted this season and three points from every game are all that matters.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“I thought, for example, I played really well against Millwall at the start of the season but we lost and for a West Ham fan, I was devastated to lose against them.
“For me to keep my place in the team, I have to ensure I have a good game every week and although I’m reasonably pleased with my start to the season, there is much more to come from me.”

Moving swiftly onto the other teammates, she continued: “I think Bex [Becky Merritt] has done really well this season.

“She has done well up top but if we have been missing players, she has stepped into their positions and done really well. She has also been banging in the goals.

“The funny thing with Bex is that she will miss an easy chance but then score an absolute screamer. I’m tipping her to have a great season.

“I have also been impressed with Toni [Anne Wayne]. I played with her at Charlton so I already knew her but she has come in and done really well this season and made some important saves.”

Striker Kelley Blanchflower, who broke her collar bone against QPR last month, is another player who caught Stacey’s eye this season.

“She was fantastic in pre-season and took that form into the season,” she said. “She wasn’t scoring as many goals that she would like to have done in the first few games but that doesn’t take anything away from her performances.

“She has been brilliant and her getting injured is a big blow for us. But I’m sure after Christmas, she will be back and fighting fit.”

The Ladies next face rivals Spurs in the league on Sunday (KO 2pm) having already played them once this season, drawing 1-1 in the league cup.

“We under-performed in our last game against Spurs,” Stacey continued. “I’m sure we will be reminded of this performance in the changing room before our game on Sunday and hopefully we can go out there and get the three points we need and want.

“The league is the most important thing for us this season. We haven’t got off to the start we would’ve hoped for but then we didn’t last season and we were still pushing for promotion at the end.

“If we get promoted this season and don’t get to any finals or win anything else then I will be delighted – as I’m sure the others will be too.”

From hero to hospital: West Ham Ladies striker Kelley Blanchflower

West Ham Ladies picked up three valuable points in their last league outing away at QPR but, despite scoring, striker Kelley Blanchflower was left bitterly disappointed.

The 19-year-old was still buzzing after scoring her first goal of the season when, just before half time, she broke her collar bone after pouncing on a loose ball on the edge of the QPR penalty box and being fouled by a QPR player.

The former Arsenal player will now watch from the stands for six weeks while she recovers.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“I’ve got mixed emotions about the QPR game,” she said. “Last year I had scored a few more goals at this stage of the season and I had been getting frustrated so when I scored, I was really happy.

“But then just before half time, this girl took me out from behind, I landed on my shoulder and broke my collarbone. I was then taken to hospital but found out later the girls had seen out the game and at the end of the day, the most important thing was to get the three points.

“I was a bit upset that I got injured because I worked hard in pre-season to get fit and then this happens so early into the season.

“I’ve been told I will be out for six weeks but I might be back earlier and as far as injuries go six weeks is not that long.”

Blanchflower had set herself a target of netting 20 goals this season but now accepts she will struggle to hit that with six weeks off injured.

She continued: “I’m also not expecting to walk back into the team. If someone else is playing well and scoring goals then I can’t complain.

“I will just have to focus on training hard and fight to get my place back. I just want to get back on the pitch.”

 Asked who has impressed her so far this season, Blanchflower replied: “Our goalkeeper Toni. I’ve never played with her before but whenever she is called into action she is really good.

“I’ve also been impressed with Stacey Little. She has been so dominant in the middle, winning everything in the air and controlling the midfield. Plus she scored an amazing header against Spurs which saved us.”

Looking ahead to the Ladies’ next game against Watford in the League Cup, the striker continued: “It will be a tough game. We played them during preseason and because they struggled last season, we thought we stood a good chance of beating them or at least getting a draw and they beat us comfortably which was a bit of a reality check. But on our day we can give anyone a game.”

Sunday’s clash against Watford will take place at 2pm at Berkhamsted FC, Broadwater, Lower Kings Road, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2AL

West Ham Ladies gathering momentum in FA Women's Premier League South

West Ham Ladies have had a mixed start to their Premier League Southern Division campaign but striker Becky Merritt hopes their season can now kick on as they push for promotion.

The Ladies lost their opening game of the season away at Millwall Lionesses but bounced back against Brighton last weekend with a 2-0 win with one of the goals coming from the 26-year-old.

Now the Ladies are gearing up to start League cup campaign with a group game at home against Tottenham on Monday, kicking off at 7:45pm.

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“We had a couple of players out for the Millwall game and they are the type of team who away from home will always give you a battle and we didn’t really turn up,” she said.

“We played ok but compared to our usual standard, it wasn’t good enough. We conceded a sloppy goal and it was just one of those days where no matter what we threw at them, we just couldn’t score.

“No-one likes to lose especially to Millwall so we got back into training and worked hard and discussed what we had to do to put it right.”

She continued: “I was quite nervous approaching the Brighton game because they have been a bit of a bogey side for us recently but right from the off we went at them.

“The manager outlined what she wanted from us early doors and we went for it full throttle. We pressed them all over the pitch and we looked comfortable knowing we had the upper hand and it was a good win for us.

“I have been playing centre midfield over the last two games so it felt really good to score and get my first goal of our league campaign.

“Looking ahead to Monday night and our league cup game against Spurs, we are going for the win but they are a decent side and it will be an interesting game.”

She added: “Carly Roache, one of our fantastic centre midfielders, is back in training which is great news for us.

“She was out for most of pre-season through injury but doesn’t look out of shape or off the mark which is very positive.

“Emma Thomas is also back from holiday and it’s all starting to come together nicely.

“We are also still getting a lot of calls from potential new players which is exciting and it’s good people are noticing what we are about and what we want to achieve.”

High hopes ahead new West Ham Ladies campaign

West Ham Ladies kick off their Premier League Southern Division campaign against Millwall Lionesses on Sunday and forward Becky Merritt cannot wait for the season to start.

The 26-year-old has already bagged two goals in three pre-season friendlies and after scoring 11 goals last season, hopes to net 20 times this season to help the Ladies secure promotion to the National Division.

“We hit the ground pretty hard in pre-season,” she told Blowing Bubbles. “Training has been stepped up a gear and it’s been intense but a good intense if that makes sense?

Mikey Cartwright/Ponderosa Pix

“We’ve also been playing pre-season friendlies against teams from the league above because that’s where we want to be next season and we wanted to match ourselves against them to see how we got on.

“It’s fair to say the games were tough but I don’t think we would be too far off the standard required if we stepped up next season.

“We had quite a few people away on holiday so we didn’t have a consistent squad the whole way through  and I think our biggest issue would be adjusting to the pace because it’s slightly quicker in the league above.”

Moving onto the Ladies’ opening fixtures, she continued: “We start with a trip to Millwall which is a great game for any West Ham fan. We can’t wait for it and we won’t need psyching up for this game that’s for sure!

“We played them twice last season and beat them both times but that is not to say we will walk over them this time. It will be a tough game but we will be going into it wanting a win.

“The following week we have Brighton which will be an even tougher game because we are very evenly matched and they appear to be our bogey team going by recent results.

“However the girls are looking forward to it because we feel like we owe them one.”

Following these tricky games, the Ladies will turn their attention to the league cup and a visit of
rivals Tottenham Hotspur on September 2.

The Ladies have also welcomed goalkeeper Toni Anne Wayne and midfielder Emma Thomas back to the club.

Becky continued: “Toni is a fantastic talent. She is very experienced and we are lucky to have her back.

“As for Emma, she is also an exceptional player. I love playing with her because I know she can read me quite well. I think both girls are very passionate and the supporters will love them.

“We’ve also got a few youngsters stepping up this year which is really pleasing to see. To have them come through the ranks and pushing for places at such a young age is fantastic for this club.

“We know they will give 110% and they will learn from the older members of the squad as we push for promotion this season.”

Millwall Lionesses V West Ham Ladies will be played at Beckenham Town FC and will kick off at 2pm on Sunday.