Shaun Goater picked up a win in his first match as Aston Villa Women’s head coach on Sunday.

Goater, who was appointed to the interim position after Villa sacked Robert Pauw last week, oversaw only their second win of the season – a 3-1 victory over West Ham.

Two first-half goals from Adriana Leon and an 83rd-minute strike from Kenza Dali were enough for a comfortable win over struggling West Ham, whose goal came from Vivienne Asseyi in the 21st minute.

Villa’s victory lifts them to seventh in the 12-team Women’s Super League on nine points, four clear of bottom club Crystal Palace, with only one team relegated at the end of the season.

Goater was understandably delighted with the win.

“I was very pleased because I wanted to bring calmness and we had composure for the majority of the game,” Goater said.

“There was some really good play in terms of receiving the ball in pockets and driving, keeping width and being able to penetrate in behind, so there was a really good balance to our game.”

Villa took the lead early but were pegged back by West Ham, and Goater was pleased with the resilience of his side.

“It was all about remaining calm because we were really playing well at the time,” Goater said.

“Sometimes you can concede a goal and implode a bit but the girls showed their experience and continued playing, so I was really pleased with how we went about today’s game.”

It has been a lean time for Aston Villa supporters, who have had little opportunity to see their side pick up three points this season, and Goater was pleased with the strong backing from the stands.

“I have to give a few words to our fans because they were absolutely brilliant,” Goater said.

“They made the extra player and they were the ones that kept the players going and that allowed us to regain our composure. Towards the end, although the scoreline was comfortable, we didn’t feel comfortable because we hadn’t produced a win for a while.”

Goater believes the three points will give his side confidence as they look to put a poor run behind them.

“It’s a huge boost and the players will be looking and knowing that they are scoring goals again,” he said.

“We’re starting to understand lots of things, such as what to do when we are out of possession so that teams don’t play through us. They are starting to get some of the messages that we are giving them, so we’re very pleased and everyone will have a great two-week break.”