West Ham 2-3 Aston Villa: Rachel Daly strikes in injury time to secure thrilling Women's Super League victory

Rachel Daly scored a superb goal in injury time to give Aston Villa a dramatic Women's Super League victory over West Ham.

Viviane Asseyi had put West Ham ahead from the penalty spot but Anna Patten headed Villa level before half-time.

Villa took the lead through Adriana Leon before Lisa Evans looked to have earned West Ham a point with a brilliant half-volley.

But Daly hooked in a spectacular late winner from just inside the box.

The Hammers suffered a 5-0 defeat to Manchester United in their last WSL outing but came out fired up against Villa.

Riko Ueki whistled a shot on the turn past the post, then brought a point-blank save out of Daphne van Domselaar with a close-range header.

When Asseyi sent Domselaar the wrong way from the spot with a low finish into the bottom-left corner West Ham should have gained enough confidence to control the game.

But instead it jolted Villa into life and Patten levelled shortly afterwards with a header at the back post as she got on the end of Daly's flick.

Villa seized the early initiative after the interval and Leon produced a clinical finish to fire the ball beyond Mackenzie Arnold, only for the home side to level with 10 minutes remaining when Evans found some space on the edge of the area and arrowed a half-volley into the top-right corner from Asseyi's knockdown.

But England international Daly produced an equally brilliant moment when she struck a powerful acrobatic effort with her left foot beyond Arnold to seal the three points for the visitors.

It has been a difficult start to the WSL campaign for West Ham, and they have taken just one win in seven matches, leaving them above bottom side Bristol City only on goal difference.

Hammers boss Rehanne Skinner, who replaced Paul Konchesky in the summer, acknowledged in her programme notes before this encounter that the team is "in transition" and it will take time to turn around their fortunes.

There were some encouraging signs that the former Tottenham manager's approach is starting to pay off here, despite a third consecutive WSL defeat.

Risa Shimizu and Kirsty Smith stretched Villa's backline with their overlapping runs down the flanks but nobody in a claret and blue shirt could apply the finishing touch to balls teased into the box.

The absence of captain Dagny Brynjarsdottir, who is on maternity leave for the 2023-24 season, has deprived them of vital experience in the centre of midfield and leadership on the pitch.

Of equal encouragement for Skinner was the manner in which her side responded to a setback, rolling up their sleeves and refusing to be steamrolled as they had been against United.

However, the stark reality is that West Ham have failed to win any of their last 10 home league matches.

Unless they are able to tighten up defensively - having shipped 16 goals this season - they are likely to find themselves scrapping near the foot of the table.