West Ham United U23s forward Anthony Scully is proud of the performance his side put in against Manchester United U23s on Friday night.
In a showpiece occasion at Old Trafford, the young Hammers fought back from a goal down to lead 2-1 with nine minutes remaining, courtesy of Scully’s tap-in from Ben Johnson’s volleyed cross.
And despite the hosts rallying to snatch a point at the death, Scully believes the Hammers can be content that few sides in the Premier League 2 Division 2 will take the game to the league leaders in a similar manner.
Both teams were going at it the whole game. I thought we really deserved to win the game
Anthony Scully
He said: “Not many teams could come to Old Trafford and play how we did. We attacked them the whole game. The first ten to 15 minutes when they scored, they were probably on top, but then after that it was all us.
“The lads in the dressing room are disappointed, everyone’s heads are down, because we felt we deserved the three points, but we’re fighting it out at the top of the table, so to get a point off them away from home, we’ll take it.”
Both sides entered the match full of confidence, with perfect records up to that point in the division, and that level of quality was reflected in the match itself, according to Scully.
“I thought tonight was a really good, proper game,” he continued. “It had a bit of everything: long balls, dribbling, shots, passing, even some fighting – you saw at the end it got a bit heated.
“Both teams were going at it the whole game. I thought we really deserved to win the game. I was delighted when I scored in the last ten minutes, but unfortunately we just couldn’t hold out.”
Scully's introduction to the starting eleven was the only change in lead coach Dmitri Halajko’s line-up from the U23s’ previous game against Reading U23s.
The Irish attacker duly seized his chance to impress up front, proving a lively presence throughout and capping his performance with his poacher’s effort late on.
Scully spoke afterwards of the importance of the entire squad staying sharp in case similar opportunities should arise, saying: “It’s great to start and it’s great to score.
“It’s very important we all stay ready. That’s what’s good about what we’ve had this season – we’ve had friendlies during the week so that we can all stay fit. In seasons before we haven’t had any other games, so if you haven't been in the team and then you come in, it’s very tough.
“It’s been good this season that Ricky Martin and Dmitri have put on those games, so that when anybody comes into the team, they’re going to be ready to go.”
West Ham U23s’ next test comes in the EFL Trophy on Wednesday against familiar opposition in Newport County, whom the first-team defeated in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Conor Coventry and Ben Johnson, regulars with the U23s, traveled to Wales for that game, and Scully believes that they may be able to put that experience to good use at Rodney Parade once again.
He said: “Conor and Ben have been there, they might know what they play like. They’ve experienced the ground with the first-team and may have a few things they’ve picked up on – weaknesses, things to look out for – so they’ll be a massive help.
“For us, I don’t think it’ll be too dissimilar; in terms of how we’ll play, it’ll be no different to tonight, we’ll play the exact same way. All our focus now is on Newport for Wednesday.”
