Chelsea U18s 2-2 West Ham United U18s
U18 Premier League South, Cobham Training Ground, Saturday 22 February 2025, 11am GMT
Josh Landers struck deep into stoppage time as West Ham United U18s battled to a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Cobham Training Ground.
The young Hammers had led going into half-time thanks to a 37th-minute strike from Elisha Sowunmi, but Chelsea turned the scoreline around before the hour mark with goals from Chizaram Ezenwata and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli. A 93rd-minute equaliser from Landers, however, secured a share of the spoils for Lauris Coggin's side.
The visitors made a bright start to proceedings, with Sowunmi testing the Chelsea goalkeeper inside the opening minutes after linking up well with Landers on the break. At the other end, Jethro Medine and Fin Hooper made important interventions to deny the hosts, with Hooper making an outstanding recovery tackle to prevent Yayha Idrissi from capitalising on a misplaced pass.
West Ham’s pressing paid off as they took the lead eight minutes before the break. A misjudged pass at the back from goalkeeper Jack Austin gifted Sowunmi the chance to dart in behind Reggie Watson. Sowunmi punished, making no mistake from close range to put his side in front.
Coggin’s troops thought they had doubled their advantage just before half-time, with a well-worked move involving Medine, Landers, Sowunmi and Majid Balogun, only for the latter to be flagged offside after finding the net.
Chelsea’s early second-half pressure paid off when a West Ham clearance fell straight to Calvin Diakite. In space, he played it to his midfield partner Reggie Walsh who then disguised a chipped pass to break the defensive line, allowing Ezenwata to draw the home side level.
West Ham almost hit back immediately, with Balogun striking the post from a Joe Scanlon cross. The home side then punished, edging in front on 58 minutes when a loose ball in midfield allowed Walsh to slip in Ezenwata. Under pressure from defenders, the ball broke kindly for Nicoll-Jazuli, who fired home from close range.
West Ham pressed for an equaliser, with substitute Andre Dike playing in Sowunmi, whose left-footed strike was well saved. Minutes later, Riley Ebho’s excellent wing play created a flurry of chances, but Dike, Aaron Kamara and Sowunmi were all denied in quick succession.
With five minutes left, Landers came agonisingly close to levelling the game, heading Riley Hargan’s pinpoint free-kick onto the outside of the post.
The Hammers’ persistence was finally rewarded in stoppage time. Hargan and Sowunmi combined to release Landers, who showed great strength to hold off his marker before finishing coolly past the Chelsea goalkeeper.
There was still time for one final scare, but Hooper produced a crucial save at the death to deny Ezenwata and ensure the young Hammers left Cobham with a well-earned point.
Chelsea U18s: Austin, Antwi ©, Subuloye, Diakite, McGlinchey (Wheeler-Henry 29), Watson, Cardoso, Nicoll-Jazuli (Nutter 84), Ezenwata, Walsh, Idrissi (Philbert 79)
Subs not used: Sands (GK), Grimwade
Goals: Ezenwata 55, Nicoll-Jazuli 59
Booked: Walsh
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Ebho (Chigwada 90+1) Scanlon, Medine, Oyebade ©, Jonyla (Beckford 67), Kamara, Hargan, Landers, Sowunmi, Balogun (Dike 67)
Subs not used: Nightingale (GK), Unwin
Goals: Sowunmi 37, Landers 90+3
Booked: Jonyla, Landers, Scanlon
Coggin: We stuck together in difficult moments
With four changes to the side that won at Fulham in midweek, including three U16s and a first U18s start for Riley Ebho, lead coach Lauris Coggin reflected on another positive performance from his young team.
“I’m pleased for the U16s that were part of the starting XI,” he said. “The togetherness again that the whole group showed following on from Tuesday, where we had a different group of players, was brilliant. It was great to see the way the boys reacted and fought for the point that we were fully deserving of.
“Riley [Ebho] deserved his opportunity, and I'm sure he'll have more after the performance that he put in today. He's someone who's really humble, hard-working and showed his quality today. So we're really excited about having him with us for the rest of the season.
“We stuck together in difficult moments, managing momentum, which is difficult for a young group that is ever-changing. We would have liked to play with more of the ball and have more control. It’s something that is paramount in what we do.
“But when you're playing away at Chelsea, you need to stick together, ride your luck a little bit, suffer together. The amount of opportunities we created in coming back from 2-1 down quite quickly and shifting that was a real positive for us.”
Landers: The desire not to lose was a big part
In just his third appearance for the U18s, Josh Landers found the net for the second time, capping off a complete centre-forward’s performance. The young striker held up play well, pressed with intensity, and made intelligent runs throughout. After striking the post late on, he finally got his reward with a stoppage-time equaliser.
He said: “It was a good game. We started really well and were obviously 1-0 up at half-time. We were playing well as a team. We were compact and secure, not letting anything through us. At the start of the second half, I don't know what the Chelsea coach said to his team during the break, but they came out a different side.
“Even when they got the two goals and turned the scoreline around, we'll run for each other. If somebody makes a mistake, we'll help them out. The desire not to lose was a big part. We created a lot of chances and we should have scored more. We could have put the game away.
“I was gutted when I hit the post, as it was a perfect cross. It was good to get another goal. Elisha [Sowunmi] flicked it over the top, I could hear the defender coming really quick. I tried to get my body in between the ball and him. It was a wee bit fortunate. The ball fell to me, I gave the goalie the eyes, and got the goal.”