West Ham United U18s 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur U18s
U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 19 October 2024, 11am BST
West Ham United U18s picked up their first league win of the campaign with a commanding 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Little Heath.
Although the visitors raced into an early lead, the young Hammers responded with four goals of their own before the interval. Airidas Golambeckis, Elisha Sowunmi and Andre Dike were all on the scoresheet to ensure the Hammers went into half-time with a healthy lead.
Despite going down to ten men late in the second half after Emeka Adiele received a second yellow card, West Ham saw out the game relatively untroubled to claim all three points on derby day.
Tottenham started the brighter of the two sides, enjoying the lion’s share of possession early on as they probed for openings in the West Ham defence. Momentum soon swung in West Ham’s favour, with Dike and Chinaza Nwosu at the heart of some fluid attacking play.
However, it was Spurs who broke the deadlock in the eleventh minute. A quick goal kick caught West Ham off guard, and Luca Williams-Barnett unleashed an audacious strike from the halfway line that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net to give the visitors the lead.
West Ham’s response was swift and emphatic. Just four minutes later, Adiele whipped in a sublime cross from the left which was headed home by Golambeckis, netting his fourth goal of the season to level the score at 1-1.
The young Hammers continued to cause problems for the Spurs defence, and Dike, after beating three defenders, nearly set up Josh Ajala for a second, who was unable to convert.
Spurs were increasingly forced into a more direct style of play as West Ham’s quick counters proved increasingly dangerous. West Ham’s pressure paid off again in the 30th minute. Dike, who had been a constant threat, leapt high to meet another Adiele cross and powerfully headed home to make it 2-1.
Ajala came close again shortly after but was denied by another fine save from Samual Archer, before the Hammers extended their lead in the 38th minute through an exquisite left-footed effort from Sowunmi.
The goals kept coming as the Hammers added a fourth just two minutes later. Dike netted his second of the day, capping off a sensational first half performance for the forward, who earned his second call-up to the Young Lions’ U17s squad in as many months in October. The England age-group international nearly completed his hat-trick moments later, but his one-on-one effort, set up by West Ham goalkeeper Finley Hooper, was bravely blocked by Archer.
With a comfortable 4-1 lead at half-time, West Ham continued to control the game after the break. Spurs made changes in an attempt to mount a comeback, but the young Hammers remained disciplined at the back.
The visitors managed to pull one back with 20 minutes remaining when Roman Egan-Riley played a delightful ball over the top for Williams-Barnett, who calmly slotted home his second of the match, reducing the deficit to 4-2.
West Ham’s task was made harder in the 77th minute when Adiele was shown a second yellow card for dissent, leaving the young Hammers to play out the final exchanges with ten men.
Despite Spurs' late push, West Ham held on to record their first league win of the season. A long time coming for Lauris Coggin's men who climb up to ninth in the Premier League South standings as a result of their derby victory.
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Medine, Golambeckis, Mayers, Kamara Nwosu, Fearon ©, Dike (Halim 70), Sowunmi, Adiele, Ajala (Hargan 71)
Subs not used: Awesu (GK), Chigwada, Balogun
Booked: Adiele x2
Goals: Golambeckis 17, Dike 31, 41, Sowunmi 38
Tottenham Hotspur U18s: Archer ©, Upson (Egan-Riley 65), Logan, Byfield, Hardy, Byrne, Elliot-Parris (Adewole HT), Beggs (Hall 78), James (Feeney 53), Williams-Barnett
Sub not used: Irow (GK)
Goals: Williams-Barnett 13, 69
