West Ham United U18s 3-1 Southampton U18s
U18 Premier League Cup Group D, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 23 November 2024, 11am GMT

West Ham United U18s secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup at Little Heath on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 victory over Southampton.

Although Everton could still top the group if they win their remaining game against Nottingham Forest by two goals or more, the young Hammers would still qualify for the knockout stages as the best second-placed team on seven points.

A brace from Josh Ajala and Elisha Sowunmi’s 12th goal in as many games in all competitions this season extended Lauris Coggin’s young Hammers’ unbeaten run to six games.

With the U21s out of action this weekend, Ajala marked his return to the U18s squad with a goal within 33 seconds. Coggin’s energetic Hammers burst out the traps, pressing high, and Ajala, who had stolen possession in the Southampton third, finished off the move he had started by tapping home an excellent cross from Jethro Medine.

Despite the lightning quick start, the game was a far cry from the end-to-end action from their previous encounter just three weeks ago.

In the 30 minutes after Ajala's opener, West Ham held onto their lead confidently with a very disciplined back line, regularly catching their opponents offside. The one time they were caught out however, they were made to pay a heavy price.

Shortly after the half-hour mark, despite a lack of attacking support, Sowunmi did excellently to drive down the right and fashion a cross into the box. His dangerous attacking move however, was dealt with well by goalkeeper Dylan Moody. From the resulting counter-attack, West Ham were left exposed and Southampton punished. A through ball to Nicholas Oyekunle from Thierry Rohart-Brown beat the offside trap. Shifting the ball onto his right, beating two defenders scrambling to recover, Oyekunle calmly dispatched his 12th goal of the season to even the score at 1-1.

Despite the setback, it would take less than a minute for the young Hammers to reply as they scored almost immediately from kick-off, again! In a transition move of their own, Emeka Adiele, who had been causing problems for the Saints defence throughout the first half, burst down the left, connecting with a Riley Hargan pass. Making the most of their numerical advantage, Adiele squared it back across the edge of the box to Sowunmi. Cushioning the ball with an excellent first touch, Sowunmi unleashed what is quickly becoming his trademark finish, an excellent curling effort beyond the reach of Moody in the Southampton goal.

Looking to get back into the game, Southampton brought on Sufianu Sillah Dibaga, who had scored the last time the two sides met just three weeks ago. With seven goal contributions in seven games for the young Saints this season, the 17-year-old Spanish winger posed a big threat down the right-hand side.

Although the pressure was building on the West Ham goal, and goalkeeper Lanre Awesu made some important interventions, it was the Hammers who came closest to scoring as Rayan Oyebade headed a Sowunmi cross goalwards, only to be denied by an excellent Moody save.

Southampton continued to probe for an equaliser, but the sturdy West Ham backline continued to hold firm. With 85 minutes on the clock, with their first prolonged spell of possession in the Southampton half since Oyebade's chance almost 20 minutes prior, the Hammers sealed all three points and their passage into the next round.

Second-half substitute Majid Balogun, who had picked up where Adiele had left off, tormenting the Saints full-backs, burst through two defenders and drove towards the Southampton goal. His low ball across the penalty area set up Ajala who manoeuvred his way into a bit of space before firing across his body, his deflected effort nestling into the bottom left corner.

West Ham came close on two occasions in stoppage time to adding a fourth. A volleyed cross from Preston Fearon was flicked on by Airidas Golambeckis to Mehmet Halim. His header, also his first touch of the game since replacing Ajala, forced an excellent reflex save out of Moody. With the last kick of the game, Halim came close again, but his effort, set up by fellow stoppage-time substitute Lewis Beckford, flashed wide of the far post.

Although there are still three final group-stage fixtures to be played, Coggin's young Hammers sealed their place in the next round either as group winners, pending Everton's result against Nottingham Forest, or as the best second-placed side on seven points and plus four goal difference.

West Ham United U18s: Awesu, Medine, Mayers (Nwosu HT), Golambeckis, Oyebade, Fearon ©, Sowunmi, Kamara, Ajala (Halim 90), Hargan (Beckford 90), Adiele (Balogun 69) 
Sub not used: Hooper (GK)

Goals: Ajala 1, 85, Sowunmi 36

Booked: Adiele

Southampton U18s: Moody, Adjei-Afriyie, Matthews, Dobson-Ventura, Sheaf (Goremusandu 77), McMullan, Newman (Martin HT), Rohart-Brown (Sillah Dibaga HT), Oyekunle, Daley, Gathercole
Subs not used: Upstell (GK), Bassega

Goals: Oyekunle 34

Coggin: The work rate of every single one of our players was fantastic

After extending their unbeaten run to six games and securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup, lead coach Lauris Coggin was understandably very pleased with his budding Hammers' performance.

“I’m really impressed with the togetherness that we showed,” he said. “The grit and the determination was backed up by quality in moments. If you look at the goals that we scored, they were also really pleasing. The work rate of every single one of our players was fantastic."

Having only just played this afternoon’s opponents three weeks ago, an end-to-end 2-2 draw at Little Heath, the team was well prepared to go toe-to-toe with the Saints once again.

Coggin added: “We adjusted some subtle details in the build-up. How we pressed, which led to the first goal. Although there were changes in personnel for both sides, we knew what they would offer. They’re one of the best sides that we’ve faced at this level. A really technical team that test you in every way and I’m pleased by how we overcame that.

“I’m very pleased for the players that stepped into the starting eleven; Lanre [Awesu] and Riley [Hargan] did really well. Majid [Balogun] too; coming in as a first-year scholar from Manchester United, he’s been very patient and it was great to see the impact he had creating the third goal. Seeing how the boys celebrated with him is fantastic and exactly what we want to promote.”

Kamara: We're feeling very confident at the moment

In his tenth appearance of the season, first-year scholar Aaron Kamara once again impressed with his versatility, starting the game in midfield and playing out the second half as a left-back. Contributing plenty in attack, Kamara also dealt well defensively with the threat posed by Sillah Dibaga on Southampton’s right wing.

Reflecting on their second clash against the Saints this month, Kamara said: “In the first half, it felt like they had studied us well. You could tell they had prepared to counter what had worked well for us in the last game. The likes of Ezra [Mayers] coming in helped us a lot at the back.”

He continued: “There’s a real togetherness in the squad and you can see that in how everyone celebrated with Majid after the third goal. He’s been working really hard in training and it’s great to see that paying off.

“We’re feeling very confident at the moment. Going six games unbeaten is not easy so we’re feeling really strong going into the FA Youth Cup which is a big goal for us.”