West Ham United U21s 2-2 Athletic Club B
Premier League International Cup, Rush Green Stadium, Wednesday 2 October 2024, 7pm BST
For the second week running, West Ham United U21s mounted yet another second-half comeback, drawing 2-2 against Athletic Club B in their second Premier League International Cup (PLIC) clash.
A brace from Brad Dolaghan helped the Hammers recover from a two-goal deficit, though they were unfortunate not to secure all three points after dominating the second half.
The game began with West Ham seeing much of the ball in the opening minutes but struggling to move up the pitch. Bilbao, on the other hand, quickly grew into the contest, and they capitalised on a pair of defensive errors to take a commanding lead after just a quarter of an hour.
The first blow came in the eleventh minute, as West Ham were caught in possession in their own half. Bilbao’s Adrián Pérez picked up the loose ball before finding Aritz Conde who unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area that flew beyond Fin Herrick, leaving the Hammers goalkeeper with little chance.
Just three minutes later, Bilbao doubled their advantage. A failure to clear their lines allowed Igor Oyono to pounce on the ball inside the penalty box, and he calmly slotted it into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
The visitors could have easily added a third before the 20-minute mark, but Herrick kept West Ham in the game with a crucial one-on-one save, using his legs to deny Oyono and prevent further damage.
The young Hammers looked shell-shocked as Bilbao took control of the game. Despite their struggles, the hosts began to find some rhythm as the half progressed. Ollie Scarles, Dan Rigge and Josh Ajala combined well on the left, but a crucial last-ditch tackle from Daniel Belategi prevented the striker from pulling one back.
As half-time approached, the U21s showed signs of improvement but went into the break frustrated and two goals behind. Lead coach Mark Robson made key changes at half-time, bringing on Emeka Adiele and Brad Dolaghan in an attempt to change the course of the encounter.
The substitutions had an immediate impact, as West Ham came out firing in the second half, and it did not take long for the momentum to shift in their favour. In the 52nd minute, Dolaghan sparked the comeback. A header from Josh Briggs on the halfway line bounced towards the Bilbao goal. Latching onto the ball from an onside position, Dolaghan reacted quickest and finished coolly one-on-one to halve the deficit.
The goal injected life into the Hammers, who continued to pile on the pressure. Just eight minutes later, they nearly drew level when Favour Fawunmi rattled the crossbar with a curling left-footed effort from the edge of the box. The visitors struggled to contain West Ham’s relentless attacks, and they were fortunate to see a dangerous cross from Fawunmi headed goalwards by Dolaghan rattle the woodwork just minutes later.
Bilbao managed to steady themselves for a brief spell, but West Ham’s dominance finally paid off in the 83rd minute. Dolaghan, picked out by Adiele after another bursting run down the left, was once again in the right place at the right time and saw his deflected shot loop over the Bilbao goalkeeper Oier Ariznabarreta and into the net, making it 2-2.
With the game level, the young Hammers pushed hard for a winner. Despite their late surge however, Bilbao held firm to see out the draw and ensure a share of the spoils.
West Ham United U21s: Herrick, Robinson, Brown, Briggs, Luizão, Akpata (Battrum 73), Rigge, Orford © (Tarima 73), Fawunmi (Moore 88), Scarles (Adiele HT), Ajala (Dolaghan HT)
Subs not used: Terry (GK), Mayers
Goals: Dolaghan 52, 83
Booked: Briggs
Robson: I was very disappointed with how we started
If there were ever a game that epitomised the saying ‘a game of two halves’, this was it.
While deeply frustrated with the first-half showing, Robson praised the way his team were able to turn things around after the break to rescue a point.
“I think we should’ve won the game, but that first half is the worst we’ve been both in and out of possession this season,” he remarked candidly. “We got nowhere near them, and they completely bossed the game. Although we started to get a grip in the last 15 minutes before half-time, I was very disappointed with how we started.
“At the break, we sorted a few things out. Steve [Potts] got into them about the defending and he was absolutely spot on because we were miles better in the second half. We were much more aggressive, front-footed, and started picking up loose balls. The first few chances came from us winning the ball back high up the pitch, which is what we’ve been doing all season. We just dropped our standards in that first half, but credit to the boys for turning it around.”
Dolaghan: I stayed ready and took my chances
After coming off the bench to score both of West Ham’s goals, suffice to say Brad Dolaghan was pleased with his impact and how the team fought back to earn a point. Tonight's brace takes the 19-year-old striker to three goals in two Premier League International Cup appearances.
He said: “At half-time, it wasn’t looking too good, so I’m delighted we got something out of the game. When you’re not starting, it’s all about staying hungry and taking the opportunities when they come. When I got called at the break by Gel [Gerard Prenderville] to get my shirt on, I was ready.
"Going out there and kicking a ball is what I love doing, and hitting the back of the net is something I love doing even more! Like last week, I really wanted to get the equaliser, and although it was tougher this time around, I thought I did well when I came on, took my chances, and maybe could’ve had a couple more!”
