West Ham United’s youngsters ended the 2017/18 season in dramatic style as Bernardo Rosa secured a 2-2 U18 Premier League South draw with Aston Villa with the last kick of the game.
The Hammers were trailing 2-0 going into the closing stages at Little Heath and looked set to end the campaign with a home defeat.
However, schoolboy striker Veron Parkes halved the deficit on his full U18 debut, firing home a clinical finish, before Rosa (pictured, above) netted a late, late leveller in the fifth minute of added time.
A young starting XI saw recent signing Joseph Anang in goal and schoolboy Josh Wilson-Esbrand start at left-back alongside captain Ben Wells, Kevin Dalipi and Will Greenidge. The midfield consisted of Rosa, Jay Mingi and Louie Watson, with Parkes playing alongside Sean Adarkwa and the in-form Odysseas Spyrides in attack.
However, it was Villa who took control in the early stages, opening the scoring through Michael Tait’s goal within nine minutes.
The visitors looked to have secured all three points when substitute Jacob Ramsey put them two goals clear with 13 minutes to play, but Parkes and Rosa had other ideas.
The 17-year-old’s fourth and final goal of the season meant the Hammers finished tenth in the 12-team South table, having won six, drawn three and lost 13 of their 22 league matches.
With 19 starts, Rosa topped the appearance charts, while Spyrides and Korrey Henry each scored five goals.
West Ham United: Anang, Wilson-Esbrand, Wells (c), Dalipi, Greenidge (Appiah-Forson 63), Mingi, Watson, Rosa, Adarkwa (E.Longelo 70), Spyrides, Parkes
Subs not used: Jinadu (GK), El Mhassani