West Ham’s captain, Gilly Flaherty, said losing at Wembley to Manchester City is something her younger teammates will use as motivation for the rest of their careers.
Having lost two finals herself – and won seven more in assorted competitions – the centre-back knows exactly how defeat can fuel the fire as much as the taste of victory. “A defeat is never easy, especially an FA Cup final,” said Flaherty. “But these girls will never want to feel that again and it will spur them on. Whether they stay or go, they’ll take so many life lessons from today alone.”
The Hammers competed in the newly professional Women’s Super League this season, having been granted a licence to move from the amateur third tier to the top by the FA. Flaherty believes they have turned a few heads: “We’re sitting mid-table, we had no relegation battle, which I think surprised people. It’s the unknown.”
Their gallant first-half performance at Wembley also caught many a little off guard – not least their opponents. After 7-1 and 3-1 victories over West Ham in the league this season, it was easy to believe this would be plain sailing for City. But the former came early on in the campaign, and the latter flattered City.
“We defended so well in the first half, then did it again for the next 10 minutes or so,” said Flaherty. “But once that first goal goes in and they get their momentum, the gaps seem to get bigger and that’s when they picked up the ball in space.”
“But you can’t fault our players, especially when you look at how it’s gone this season against City. I think 3-0 flatters them massively. People thought we were going to get absolutely spanked. I spoke to a City girl after the game and she said: ‘We were panicking at half-time because we couldn’t break you down’. So maybe they underestimated us.”
It was a glaring error from West Ham’s goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse that allowed City to break the deadlock. The 24-year-old took a step the wrong way when Keira Walsh lined up to shoot and was left flailing as the ball bounced over her. Once West Ham were chasing the game, it was a matter of time before City’s forwards exploited the gaps.
“She was gutted, obviously,” said Flaherty of Moorhouse. “She’s in a position where she’s the last man and she’s been fantastic for us this year.
“She got us through that semi-final [against Reading], she made the penalty saves. One game doesn’t define your season. She’s been a top pro, she’ll learn from it, she’s still young. But you have to go through it to learn from it. She’s an important player in this team and I know she’ll bounce back.”
Flaherty is hoping the togetherness of her teammates serves as a driving force on and off the pitch.
“Obviously Beardy and Jack [manager Matt Beard and managing director Jack Sullivan] are going to sit down and invest and strengthen the squad in the summer, because you have to. Every year it gets harder.
“Fingers crossed that the players, now they’ve had a taste of it, want to get up there and be on the winning side, lifting that trophy. So let’s hope we can go one step further next year.”
With West Ham supporters making up the overwhelming majority of the crowd at Wembley, despite the game clashing with the men’s team’s fixture, there are signs the fans are really taking Flaherty’s side to heart.
“They were incredible, the fans, from minute one to the end – and after the final whistle, when we went round and clapped them,” said Flaherty. “If we gained an extra 1,000 followers to come down and watch at Rush Green, then that’s brilliant. But people have to see us in this situation to say: ‘Hold on a minute, this is West Ham. They are good, they are good enough to be there.’
“I’m just immensely proud. There’s no team I’d have rather led out today, no set of girls that I’d rather have picked to walk out with. They are gutted in there. They are disappointed but the team spirit we’ve got is fantastic.”