Sean Adarkwa admitted he felt as though his first West Ham United U23 goal was on its way prior to breaking his duck against Swansea City in the Hammers’ 5-3 win on Sunday.
Adarkwa bagged his team’s third in the Premier League 2 eight-goal thriller, beautifully flicking Reece Oxford’s long pass over his opposing defender before firing into the bottom corner with his left foot from range.
And the young forward, who had previously not bagged in competitive football for the side in his six games this season, was delighted to get off the mark.
“It was a good moment for me to score today,” he reflected. “I have felt like, in the games I’ve been playing for the U23s, that first goal was always coming and it’s good to finally get it.
“I scored an offside goal against Chelsea, so to get one that stood was great! It was a nice finish. It was my left foot, my weaker foot, but I just have to keep coming and try and get more goals.
“Until now, I’ve been getting in the right positions but haven’t been shooting and getting it in the net so hopefully this will be that start of a good run for me.”
I have felt like, in the games I’ve been playing for the U23s, that first goal was always coming and it’s good to finally get it
Sean Adarkwa
“It was good to play up there with Jahmal, it worked well. At first, I thought I wouldn’t understand how it works to play in a two as I don’t do it often, but we did well and worked good from each other.
“I thought we worked hard and played well as a team. We all carried each other; we didn’t let our heads go down, even when they got some goals back.”
The Hammers raced into a four-goal lead and were looking comfortable after an hour in Dagenham, but Swansea hit back and pegged the hosts back, scoring three without reply, before sub Veron Parkes finished things off once and for all for West Ham.
“We kept going and kept pushing each other and saw out the game to get a result in the end,” Adarkwa continued.
“We let them back into the game and I thought that we probably got a bit complacent at 4-0 up which I think is natural but you can’t let that happen. After that, the three goals, we stood our ground and we weren’t going to give up the result.”