Regan Clayton has called on West Ham United U21s to learn from Saturday’s Premier League 2 defeat to Everton.
Issac Price gave the Toffees the lead at Rush Green Stadium, while the Hammers saw Divin Mubama dismissed with a straight red card early in the second half.
The home side showed immense character to draw level through Pierre Ekwah’s excellent strike on 76 minutes, despite being down to ten men, but Everton retook the lead moments later through substitute Halid Djankpata, ensuring the development side left without a share of the spoils.
Clayton told whufc.com: “I thought we started well in the first half. We changed the game plan a little bit and went a bit more direct, and I felt like that was going well for us. Their first goal was from a silly mistake, which killed us a bit. We carried on going but we lost Divin in the second half to his red card.
“We knew it would be tough today. Pierre has got unreal quality and showed it with his goal, and we had to dig it, but we got it wrong quickly after. We have to stop letting these mistakes happen and fix them quickly.”
Despite the defeat, the full-back believes the young Hammers can take heart from their efforts in the second half, with the ten men forced to defend resolutely as they sought a way back into the match.
He continued: “We stuck in it as a team and I think we showed real togetherness. We got back in it but just couldn’t hold out. We can be proud of our effort in the second half though.
“Everyone is disappointed in the changing room after this but, also, we can take the positives too. It was a good effort in the second half and we can learn from that.”
Mark Robson’s U21s was filled with a host of younger talent in Saturday’s match, with Clayton just one of five starters who featured regularly for the U18s last season.
The 17-year-old noted the step-up in quality at Premier League 2 level and Is enjoying the challenge of proving his ability in the U21s.
“This is a real learning opportunity for us,” he added. “There are a long of younger players in our group at the moment and there is a real difference in physicality and quality between the U18s and the U21s.
“The standard is another level and I feel like I’m learning every single day, and I know the other lads are as well. It’s a real challenge at the moment but I like being challenged. I’m learning every day and I just want to get better.”
