Reading U18s 1-2 West Ham United U18s
U18 Premier League Cup final, Select Car Leasing Stadium, Tuesday 22 April 2025, 7pm BST
West Ham United were crowned U18 Premier League Cup champions following a 2-1 victory over Reading at Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The young Irons got off to the dream start in the first half courtesy of Josh Ajala, who tapped home a flicked-on corner from close range to extinguish any early nerves.
But the hosts were level through Carter Bowdery's curling effort 16 minutes later to ensure the sides went in level at half-time in Berkshire.
It was a more muted affair in the second half, and just as it looked like the Hammers were heading for another extra-time period in the Premier League Cup, Ajala did the trick again, this time meeting Elisha Sowunmi's cross to send the ball arcing past Josh Welland to secure the Club’s first-ever U18 Premier League Cup title.
An eager start by Reading was to be expected in front of a raucous 2,000-strong home crowd, but Lauris Coggin’s West Ham held firm to give themselves a platform to build on.
After an even start, the Hammers tested the Reading backline for the first time on 13 minutes. Emeka Adiele embarked on a trademark run down the left-hand side, beating his man and picking out Ajala, who diverted his firm header straight at goalkeeper Welland.
From then on, the young Irons grew in stature and confidence and continued to threaten down the left flank, with another free-flowing move seeing a Sam Harrison block deny Ajala an almost certain goal.
After a solid opening 17 minutes, having cranked up the pressure and winning a series of corners, we were rewarded with the opener. Ezra Mayers flicked on an in-swinging Sowunmi corner from the right, and Ajala, unmarked six yards out, was perfectly poised to tap-in for 1-0.
However, our opposition, to their credit, worked valiantly to try and regain a footing in the game following our first, and after Jacob Neptune saw his header from T’Shay St Louis’ cross kept out, the Royals restored parity after 33 minutes through a stunning Bowdery effort.
The young Hammers failed to clear a deep cross into the far post, and the hosts immediately recycled, with Kai Source teeing up Bowdery, who was urged to shoot from outside the box by the supporters and, after waiting for his opening, obliged, curling an unstoppable soaring effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Game on once more. We kept creating chances and went close twice in quick succession.
Ajala had a looping header from a hanging Jethro Medine cross land just over the bar, and then Riley Hargan had a rasping volley tipped wide by Welland as the visitors ended the first half strongly.
The opening 15 minutes of the second half passed without major incident, with West Ham still looking the more threatening of the two teams.
Coggin’s side continued to probe Reading’s backline, and their first attack came following a flowing move down the right, started by Sowunmi, with Medine going down under pressure in the box from opposing attacker Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith, but referee Fabio Roque was unmoved.
The game continued to ebb and flow with both sides exchanging possession, though neither team were able to create any clear-cut chances.
As the final 20 minutes approached, Reading were building momentum, and the young Hammers were being made to work harder. They enjoyed a brief spell of good pressure and nearly went ahead through St Louis after he had been teed up by Tyler Sackey's pass, before Emmanuel Osho thumped a header wide from Source’s left-wing cross.
Then, with 13 minutes left on the clock, the visitors took the lead. Inevitably, they did so via the red-hot Ajala. Rayan Oyebade’s precise pass sent Sowunmi scampering down the right, and his in-swinging clipped ball towards the far post was met by Ajala, who towered above his marker to guide a header across goal and beyond Welland.
As the balance of the game changed, Adiele then had the young Hammers’ best chance to add a third, but the defender could only fire over the bar from Sowunmi’s cut-back with his right foot, while Josh Landers had a goal-bound shot blocked moments earlier.
West Ham bodies continued to be put on the line as our players threw everything at Reading's shots and ran themselves into the ground trying to keep them at bay, with Lanre Awesu making a smart save low down to his right to deny Bowdery.
And there was one final heart-in-mouth moment with virtually the last kick of the game when a pinpoint cross by Bowdery landed perfectly for an undetected Harrison at the back post, but the centre-back could only fire over with the goal seemingly at his mercy.
A roar from the travelling fans greeted the full-time whistle, which set the seal on a night to remember and cherish for everyone involved in the Academy.
Reading U18s: Welland, Neptune, Source, Booth (Omoregie 81), Duah, Harrison, Bowdery, Sackey, Jones (St Louis 10), Osho ©, Coke-Miles-Smith
Subs not used: Sharlott (GK), Dove, Zie, Omoregie
Goal: Bowdery 33
Booked: Bowdery, Sackey
West Ham United U18s: Awesu, Medine, Adiele, Mayers, Oyebade ©, Golambeckis, Kamara (Caliste 36), Hargan, Ajala, Sowunmi, Landers
Subs not used: Hooper (GK), Nwosu, Beckford, Balogun
Goals: Ajala 17, 77
Referee: Fabio Roque