West Ham United's Women put Championship side Portsmouth to the chopping block in their League Cup tie, scoring six at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on an emphatic night for Rehanne Skinner's side.

After earning a superb WSL point against Liverpool, Skinner fielded a rotated side which saw Oona Siren, Ruby Doe and Marnie Morrison all make their first-team debuts.

Opponents Pompey have found life in the second tier challenging after winning promotion last season. Winless and goalless in four, with 12 goals conceded, it was a chance for Jay Sadler’s side to regain some confidence.

And it was a fairly open start to the game considering the gap between the two sides.

West Ham showed their superiority in quality with some classy play to work themselves up the pitch, but were perhaps lacking in experience and cutting edge due to that squad rotation.

Portsmouth were showing the hunger and desire of a team winless and goalless in four, but again displayed why they have struggled to adapt to life in the WSL Championship.

The opening goal was always going to come down the right-hand side with the Hammers continually targeting that area.

Seraina Piubel, having fired wide minutes before, received the ball on the edge of the box, took a touch out of her feet and smashed the ball into the bottom left corner off the post.

It resulted in an early crisis huddle from the Portsmouth players after just 13 minutes and the meeting reaped early rewards.

After a spell of improved play from Pompey, debutant Doe brought down Megan Hornby to gift the away side a route back into the game.

Having won the penalty, Hornby then scored it, slotting comfortably into the bottom right and sending Megan Walsh the wrong way on the 25-minute mark.

The goal sparked belief and purpose into Portsmouth’s attacks, and they very nearly took the lead after a marauding run down the right led to a near tap in for Emily Pitman in the six-yard box.

Had it not been for the mass of bodies in the box, Portsmouth would have been ahead.

Doe’s debut woes darkened when she came off significantly worse from a River Casley challenge and had to be assisted off the pitch after just 35 minutes.

But replacement Emma Harries had a near instant impact, linking up smoothly with Piubel on the right before finding Shelina Zadorsky on the left flank.

The captain chested the ball down, let fire from outside the box and was unlucky not to find the bottom corner.

Harries had scored her first West Ham goal in last season’s opening Conti Cup tie against Charlton and repeated history by finding the back of the net just before half-time with a delightfully chipped finish to restore the Hammers lead.

And despite a valiant first-half performance from the Championship strugglers, West Ham’s WSL class became evident pretty quickly.

The Hammers came out of the blocks in spectacular fashion after the restart, scoring two quickfire goals within the space of two minutes via super-sub Viviane Asseyi.

Harries then made it five after 53 minutes with a smartly cushioned header at the near post following a left-footed cross from Camila Sáez.

Substitute Riko Ueki sealed an emphatic night for the Hammers by heading home from a corner in the third minute of stoppage time to make it 6-1.

The win sees West Ham go comfortably top of group C with an away trip to London City Lionesses and a home tie to Southampton still to come.