Shekiera Martinez and Viviane Asseyi were on target as West Ham returned to winning ways in the Women’s Super League with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Everton at Chigwell Construction Stadium.

Martinez, who was making her first start for the Hammers, opened the scoring early on thanks to an assist from Asseyi, whose penalty on the stroke of half-time doubled the hosts’ advantage.

The result saw the Hammers, who were thrashed 5-0 at home by leaders Chelsea in their last WSL outing, leapfrog their opponents to move up to eighth as the visitors dropped down to 10th in the table.

Both sides went close in the opening exchanges, with Kelly Gago sending her effort over and Everton team-mate Katja Snoeijs’ header from Toni Payne’s cross kept out by the crossbar inside six minutes.

A free-kick from West Ham’s Chilean defender Camila Saez’s was well held by Toffees goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan moments later, but it was not long before the home team took the lead.

Martinez met Asseyi’s corner at the near post and glanced her header home in the ninth minute for her first WSL goal.

Asseyi has a shot from distance that looked destined for the far corner midway through the first half as the Hammers looked to double their lead, but Brosnan made a diving save to tip it around the post.

The away side went close to equalising after 34 minutes with two chances in quick succession for Snoeijs, but Saez stopped her first effort before debutant Verena Hanshaw made a goal-line block to keep out the second.

West Ham were awarded a penalty on the brink of half-time, after Seraina Piubel was brought down by Sara Holmgaard. France striker Asseyi made no mistake to make it 2-0.

Everton had chances to halve the deficit at the start of the second period but Honoka Hayashi’s volley from the edge of the area sailed narrowly over the crossbar, before the former West Ham midfielder headed Payne’s cross wide.

The visitors continued to press and went close again just before the hour mark as Clare Wheeler’s cross found Gago on the right of the six-yard box but the France forward fired just wide.

Goalkeeper Kinga Szemik did well to get to the ball before Everton substitute Justine Vanhaevermaet after 77 minutes before Payne sent another shot off target as the Toffees looked like they were running out of ideas to break down the home defence.

The Hammers looked dangerous again as the clock ticked down and Brosnan was forced into a great save to deny Riko Ueki with six minutes remaining, getting her body behind the ball to block the close-range strike and keep the score respectable.