West Ham United Under-18s 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur Under-18s
A high-tempo game saw West Ham United Under-18's battle for a hard-fought point against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 8 September.
Both teams went out to attack from the start and it was the Hammers who got in front in the first half, thanks to a goal from Freddie Sears. Ben Hunt had started the move by dispossessing his marker and drove the ball into the box. It shot across the path of the Spurs keeper, hit the post and came out, landing nicely for Sears to strike in the rebound.
Spurs equalised, but Tony Carr's young charges were soon back in the lead, thanks to a well-worked move that has been honed on the training pitch at Little Heath. Oliver Lee made a break deep at the back, releasing the ball to Sears on the left-hand side and, while Spurs appealed in vain for off-side, Sears carried on his run and squared the ball low and sharp to Junior Stanislas who side-footed it into the net.
West Ham had a couple of chances to increase the lead before the break, but it remained 2-1 at half-time. In the second half, Hammers found themselves on the back foot as Spurs pushed forward. Hammers failed to clear a corner and Spurs made the most of confusion in the box to shoot home.
The home side battled on, but it was the North Londoners who found their feet again and toe-poked their third into the net after David Blackmore, making his first start of the season, just lost his hold on the ball.
Tottenham dominated the next half-hour of the match, but the Hammers got stronger again in the last quarter and made it count as they grabbed another goal to make it all-square. Jordan Spence, also making his first appearance of the season following his duties for the England U-17 team in the World Youth Cup finals in South Korea, made a surging run and from the right-hand side crossed the ball into a crowded goalmouth for Sears to catch the ball on the volley and send it flying into the top corner of the net.
As the minutes ticked away, it was Hammers who nearly snatched the winner. Sears again had the ball and decided to shoot, but this time didn't hit the target. It finished with the teams on level terms and for Carr and the team it was a good point gained.
"Although we let Spurs back in after scoring early on and then conceded disappointing goals, we battled back and I think from that, we certainly didn't deserve to lose," he said. "We had a strong first half, but Spurs dominated the second and we struggled to get possession at times. Yet we didn't give up and the pleasing thing for me was that we hung in there and when we got the opportunity to hit back we did.
"It was a fast game between two teams who set their stall out to attack and we nearly snatched in the end, but it wasn't to be on this occasion."
West Ham United: Blackmore, Miller ('Gala 80), Blackwell, Payne, Spence, Harvey (Kearns 70), Stanislas, Lee (Fry 75), Hunt, Hines, Sears
Subs not used: Ashman, O'Neill,
A high-tempo game saw West Ham United Under-18's battle for a hard-fought point against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 8 September.
Both teams went out to attack from the start and it was the Hammers who got in front in the first half, thanks to a goal from Freddie Sears. Ben Hunt had started the move by dispossessing his marker and drove the ball into the box. It shot across the path of the Spurs keeper, hit the post and came out, landing nicely for Sears to strike in the rebound.
Spurs equalised, but Tony Carr's young charges were soon back in the lead, thanks to a well-worked move that has been honed on the training pitch at Little Heath. Oliver Lee made a break deep at the back, releasing the ball to Sears on the left-hand side and, while Spurs appealed in vain for off-side, Sears carried on his run and squared the ball low and sharp to Junior Stanislas who side-footed it into the net.
West Ham had a couple of chances to increase the lead before the break, but it remained 2-1 at half-time. In the second half, Hammers found themselves on the back foot as Spurs pushed forward. Hammers failed to clear a corner and Spurs made the most of confusion in the box to shoot home.
The home side battled on, but it was the North Londoners who found their feet again and toe-poked their third into the net after David Blackmore, making his first start of the season, just lost his hold on the ball.
Tottenham dominated the next half-hour of the match, but the Hammers got stronger again in the last quarter and made it count as they grabbed another goal to make it all-square. Jordan Spence, also making his first appearance of the season following his duties for the England U-17 team in the World Youth Cup finals in South Korea, made a surging run and from the right-hand side crossed the ball into a crowded goalmouth for Sears to catch the ball on the volley and send it flying into the top corner of the net.
As the minutes ticked away, it was Hammers who nearly snatched the winner. Sears again had the ball and decided to shoot, but this time didn't hit the target. It finished with the teams on level terms and for Carr and the team it was a good point gained.
"Although we let Spurs back in after scoring early on and then conceded disappointing goals, we battled back and I think from that, we certainly didn't deserve to lose," he said. "We had a strong first half, but Spurs dominated the second and we struggled to get possession at times. Yet we didn't give up and the pleasing thing for me was that we hung in there and when we got the opportunity to hit back we did.
"It was a fast game between two teams who set their stall out to attack and we nearly snatched in the end, but it wasn't to be on this occasion."
West Ham United: Blackmore, Miller ('Gala 80), Blackwell, Payne, Spence, Harvey (Kearns 70), Stanislas, Lee (Fry 75), Hunt, Hines, Sears
Subs not used: Ashman, O'Neill,