West Ham claimed their first away win battling 2-1 victory over Leicester City
At a glance
West Ham claim first away win of the season
Verena Hanshaw free-kick gives visitors lead, before Shekiera Martinez adds second midway through second half
Substitute Lehmann scores on Leicester debut to give hosts hope, but defeat leaves them ninth
West Ham claimed their first away win of the Women's Super League season with a battling 2-1 victory over Leicester City at King Power Stadium.
They took the lead against the run of play in the first half, with full-back Verena Hanshaw curling in a free-kick from 25 yards just after the half-hour mark.
Shekiera Martinez doubled the lead midway through the second half with a superb effort. The Germany striker dashed down the left wing before cutting inside on her right foot and firing low beyond the dive of Leicester keeper Olivia Clark.
The hosts had dominated proceedings from the off, pushing West Ham back into their own defensive third. However, for the most part, their finishing left much to be desired.
Debutant Rachel Williams had a close-range shot crowded out by several in West Ham white, before defender Ashleigh Neville's cross had Irons keeper Kinga Szemik scrambling across her goalline to claw clear.
New Leicester signing Alisha Lehmann provided the perfect boost off the bench, pressuring West Ham defender Eva Nystrom at a set-piece and causing her to bundle into her own net.
In the face of growing pressure from Leicester, the West Ham back line persevered, producing a total of 39 clearances across the game to make sure they came away with a precious three points.
The gap to bottom side Liverpool remains at just one point after the Reds' maiden win of the season at home to Tottenham.
Defeat for Leicester leaves them nervously looking over their shoulder as they are now just one point ahead of West Ham in ninth spot.
Vital win for Hammers as Foxes back in trouble
It was a bold decision for West Ham to replace manager Rehanne Skinner with Rita Guarino in December, but are we already starting to see the pay-off?
The Italian had never before managed outside her homeland and was jumping right into the fire of the Women's Super League relegation battle, but she has instilled a fighting spirit into a team that previously looked lost.
Guarino, and crucially her players, have rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Yes, they lost 5-0 to Chelsea, but two significant individual errors that afternoon had them 2-0 down before they truly got started.
Sunday's performance at Leicester was more reflective of the West Ham Guarino is building.
They were happy to sit back and defend their box, having less than 50% possession and fielding a total of 33 crosses from the home side, all the while waiting for their moment to strike.
When those moments came, Hanshaw and Martinez delivered, which is exactly what you need when you are battling for survival.
On the other side of the coin, Leicester City were wasteful, spurning chance after chance as the points were snatched away.
A positive note for them was Lehmann's impact off the bench just three days after signing for the club.
They will hope that the Swiss international can show more of that in the coming weeks as they look to avoid being reeled into the battle at the bottom.
Just two points now separate the Foxes from bottom side Liverpool, with the weekend's results creating a group of four clubs cut adrift from the rest of the pack, also including 10th-placed Everton.
While the lure of the title race is clear, the battle to avoid being left in the relegation play-off place promises to be just as intriguing.
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