Alex Dyer was wearing a broad grin after watching his West Ham United reserve side hold off Chelsea in a thrilling contest on Tuesday evening.
Spanish striker Diego Tristan scored two fine goals - his first strikes for the club - while teenagers Freddie Sears and Tom Harvey also netted as the Hammers secured a 4-3 victory at Bishops Stortford's Woodside Park. The Blues threatened a late fightback, reducing the arrears from 3-0 to 3-2 through a Jonathan Spector own-goal and Frank Nouble's finish, while Scott Sinclair also converted a last-gasp penalty.
Tuesday's win also completed a fine week for the club in three clashes with the west Londoners. Last Friday, Tony Carr's youth team drew 2-2 at Chelsea's Cobham training centre before, on Sunday, the first team battled to a deserved 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge.
A smiling Dyer was delighted to see his players secure a victory that ensures United will enter 2009 second in the Barclays Premier Reserve League South standings. The Hammers will return to action on 5 January when they travel to face leaders Aston Villa. Success would put West Ham United top of the table.
"It was a great game. The lads worked hard. It was great to get a victory against Chelsea," he said. "We've done well this week against Chelsea at all levels. The Under-16s won, the youth team drew and the first team drew and we've got a win with the reserves so it's been a good week."
Having maintained his side's 100 per cent home record with a fourth consecutive victory, Dyer is now looking for the second-string to continue their fine form in the New Year.
"I've said to them before they went out that it was an incentive to them to finish the year on a high, which we did do," he added. "The lads worked hard. The experienced boys that came in did us proud and the young boys were brilliant."