West Ham bottom of WSL after home loss to Everton

West Ham are winless in 11 WSL home games since November 2022

Karen Holmgaard's second-half header sent West Ham United to the foot of the Women's Super League as Everton won a scrappy contest at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan had saved the injury-hit Toffees by touching Riko Ueki's strike on to the post two minutes before Holmgaard's winner.

Everton's third WSL win lifted them to seventh.

In a game characterised by unconvincing finishing, Toni Duggan curled an early strike wide of the far post for the visitors after breaking clear inside the penalty area.

Everton top scorer Megan Finnigan also glanced a header beyond a post from Hanna Bennison's cross during the first half, while Nicoline Sorensen and West Ham's Viviane Asseyi dragged shots wide as the sides traded presentable chances.

Bristol City's draw at Liverpool means the Hammers are a point adrift at the bottom, having tasted victory once and lost seven of their nine games this season.

Everton's four-match unbeaten away run in the WSL is their best run on their travels for more than 11 years.

West Ham's next match is at Leicester City next Sunday, while Everton host Merseyside rivals Liverpool in the group stage of the League Cup on Wednesday.

Italy midfielder Aurora Galli was used as a defender by Everton because of their injury problems

West Ham's worries worsen

West Ham are facing a potentially gloomy Christmas as not even a positive result at Leicester next Sunday will guarantee they do not stay bottom.

In her first season in charge, manager Rehanne Skinner said she had been encouraged by performances before this winnable fixture, including a creditable showing in the 3-0 loss at leaders Arsenal last week.

The woodwork twice denied the Hammers against the Gunners, and only Brosnan's fingertips and the frame of her goal denied them the lead here.

But that unwanted club record cannot be put down purely to misfortune and near-misses.

They have conceded 15 goals across those five defeats, and their failure to score in five of their nine WSL games this season is the worst of any team in the division.

The hope for West Ham is that a victory next week - combined with other results going in their favour - could lift them above 10th-placed Aston Villa, with only five points separating the bottom five clubs in the table.

Their frustration, though, will be compounded by the knowledge they faced a depleted Everton side missing players such as Katrine Veje, who injured her ankle while on international duty for Denmark.

Sorensen said he only had one recognised defender available for this match and joked beforehand he was considering fielding the players available to him in a 1-6-3 formation.

The chances of that tactic working would never have been higher than against opponents with just seven goals to their name - the only team not to have reached double figures.