Shannon O'Brien Denies First Win to West Ham - Barclays WSL 25-26

West Ham hosting Leicester City. Both teams yet to really find their momentum, yet to find their form this year. West Ham, of course, had that flurry of goals at the end of last season. Shakira Martinez with a lot of those goals, finding the form, but they haven't stuck to that this year. The team news today for West Ham, it's an unchanged team. For Rhiann Skinner, Katrina Gorry captains us, the pivoting midfield. Fionn Morgan runs the flanks, and Shakira Martinez leads the line, looking for her first league goal of the season. For the away team, Leicester City, three changes for Rick Passmore's Leicester City side. Noemi Muchon makes her first WSL start of the season, having scored last time out against Arsenal, and with Yanis Kamen unavailable through injury. Van Egbert and Helen Eriksdotir also return to the starting 11 with Shannon O'Brien and Jutta Rantala dropping to the bench. Both teams looking to pick up some more points. West Ham looking to pick up their first points of the season. And booted out by Thibaut. Esai with a shot goalwards, blocked and put over the bar by Siren. Yeah, it was half a chance at best for Siren, difficult one to get on target. Denton, again, down this left-hand side. Cuts back in, gets past Kane. Denton with a strike and just over the bar. Tell you what, what an effort this is. Again, we said they're looking most lively down this left-hand side, and it's the movement of Esai that actually just drags Hannah Kane across a little bit. It opens up probably high on confidence from her involvement with the Lionesses a couple of weeks ago. And it's not far away. Into Denton again, gets past Thibaut. Drives into the box, cuts it back. Fionn Morgan, blocks on the line. Martinez still alive for West Ham and just wide again. Martinez can't get that on target. And it's last-ditch defending. Thibaut with the block on the line. They can't clear it. Key straight to Ghori. Oh, how close was that from Martinez? Giving her form, you're just expecting it to ripple into the back of the net, but this is so much better from West Ham. Denton, quick footwork, plays out to Siren. And Siren's strike is just over. I think Leicester will be quite happy with that. The two more dangerous opportunities for West Ham have come from distance. Tisiak. Oh, short play. Here is Tierney for Leicester. And it's not on target. What a brilliant opportunity for Leicester City on the counter. She has to score. She simply has to score. It's really labored and Siren, her hands are on her head before it's even met the foot of Tierney. Nobody has played for Leicester City women more times than her. Sadowski to contend with on the edge of the box. Sends it goalwards. Ghori clears. Still alive for Leicester. And Leicester with a strike. And again from Eric Stossier and McLaughlin there. I will be astounded if this one ends nil-nil. McLaughlin on this occasion with the half volley came back out to work. And Szemek made a really smart save. Martinez spins again. Does well the German striker, Morgan. Out to Juechi. Juechi sends it in. Appeals from the West Ham team. They just managed to get so many bodies back. Leicester seem to open up a little bit for Morgan on the edge. As it comes to Juechi, she's trying to create half a yard for herself. A little ricochet off Ayl. I don't think there's much in that. It's very, very close from where it came from, from Swaby. Denton. Oh, and it's rolled in. And it's Martinez with the final touch. And it's rolled in at the near post. And I don't think Leipzig knew much about that. And all of a sudden, West Ham lead. Well, nevermind Leipzig, not know much about it. I'm not sure how much Martinez knows about it either. Her first league goal should be so chuffed to get that one scratched off. And it just gets tangled under both players' feet. It's a little bit fortunate for West Ham, but for a team who've had their worst start in their Super League history, they need a little bit of luck on their side. And look how much it means to them. Denton, throw to Martinez. Inside the box, quick footwork. Plays it out to Siren. Endo, which is on the end of this one. Sends it in again, Martinez. And then a shot straight at Leipzig. That was an audacious effort, wasn't it, for Martinez? He's clearly high on confidence after a goal. Esaiy, trying to find Iwaki. And Ayl clears the danger. So here we go again then, Esaiy. Swings it in at the far post this time, headed goalwards by Zydowski, and hits the side netting. Yeah, did well to connect with it at the centre back. At this point last year, Leicester City had one point more in the table. So it's a fairly average start. Yeah, and this one will sting because when you are a team like Leicester and you aren't afforded the same size or quality of roster as some of the other teams, because you simply don't have that level of investment, you need to be picking up points against the teams in and around you in the table, and West Ham certainly are one of those. And with London City, the newly promoted team, being so good at finding their form, it makes this game even more important as it's swung in from Kane, headed at the far post. And it's a chance, and it's an equaliser, and it's Shannon O'Brien for Leicester City. Means brilliant impact from the substitute. It's a searching ball, really good delivery from Hannah Kane. There's nobody at all picking up keys. They've thrown everybody forward, Leicester. And they just don't go away, do they? Never write off this team, never write off a Rick Passmore team. He's been in the game too long. Well, there it is. There's the full-time whistle, and it's a point apiece in the end. But Leicester City will be happier with that result. Shannon O'Brien with a last-minute equaliser before Martinez put West Ham up. They led for a long time in this game at the near post, her first league goal of the season. But in the end, it finishes a draw at the Chigwell Construction Stadium. It's finished West Ham one, Leicester City one. We've created loads of chances, you know, all season. It's just been a little bit of confidence with the front line and multiple people to be able to get those goals. I think, obviously, the point's important. It's not the one that we wanted. Obviously, we wanted all three, but a point, big week, two more games this week, and we obviously want to focus on them. I warned the team today regarding West Ham because I think they're in a false position. They play really good football, really well coached, and it's coming away from home. Can we stay in games? Can we pick up points and then bring people back to the king power and ensure that we turn them one points into three points in the future?