Harrison Ashby was thrilled to mark his return to action for West Ham United U23s with three points in Monday’s 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur U23s.
Goals from Sonny Perkins, who was set up by Ashby, Thierry Nevers and Kamarai Swyer put the young Hammers in firm control of the London derby, collecting a vital win in the hunt for the Premier League 2 Division 1 title.
Max Robson’s finish late on was nothing more than a consolation for the visitors to Rush Green Stadium, and Ashby was happy with his contributions to the victory on his comeback from injury.
“When you’re a West Ham player, beating Spurs is what it’s about,” Ashby grinned. “But it was a tough game to be fair.
"It was my first game back after eight weeks out with injury and I think I’ve come back properly and landed on my feet, so it was a good performance.
“It’s so good to be back. I’ve been training for the last couple of weeks but we haven’t had a game, due to the international break, and I’ve been itching to get back out there. I think I did alright. I feel good, I feel fine, and I want to keep going now.”
The full-back last featured for the U23s at the end of January, but marked his return to the team with a crucial assist for Perkins’ opener on 42 minutes. His low cross found the striker on the edge of the box, who expertly fired home.
Ashby was full of praise for Perkins’ finish and noted the importance of the second – Nevers’ header – in the context of the match.
“The finish from Sonny is an absolute joke, to be fair. I did all I could to put it on a plate for him and we’ve got that chemistry. So as soon as I look up, I want to find him and help him get goals - and get some assists for myself! We’ve got a good relationship and it was good to take the lead.
“We know Spurs are a good team and they like to press. In all honesty, whoever got the first goal in the second half was probably going to go and win the game.
"I think that moment, which gave us a boost, in turn gave us what we needed to get the three points. Kam took his finish well to secure it and we’re delighted with the result."
The U23s will now face Blackburn Rovers on Friday in a rearranged Premier League 2 fixture, and Ashby notes how the coming hectic schedule could benefit the development of the entire squad.
He added: “It’s a busy run now but I think that’s what we need. As players, we want to push into the first-team group and this kind of run of games will prepare us for that schedule.
“The first team are pushing for European football and are playing weekly in the Premier League, along with other cups. It’s all good for us and, on an U23s level, we want to keep pushing on.
“It’s all to play for. We just want to keep winning.”
