Academy

Highlights & Reaction: U18s fall to defeat in Premier League Cup quarter-final

3rd February 2024

Manchester City U18s 2-1 West Ham United U18s
U18 Premier League Cup, City Football Academy, Saturday 3 February, 11.30 GMT

West Ham United U18s exited the Premier League Cup at the quarter-final stage following a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

A youthful Hammers’ side battled hard throughout an even 90 minutes, although the hosts would progress to the last four, despite a late goal from Mehmet Halim.

Kevin Keen’s outfit beat Middlesbrough and Derby County – and drew with Arsenal – to progress to the knockouts as Group B winners, but the last eight proved a step too far.

Goals from Michael Okeke and Ashton Muir gave the Citizens a two-goal advantage inside 15 minutes and from there it was always going to be a difficult task.

Finlay Herrick denied City a third with an inspired stop with an outstretched boot, before the England U17 goalkeeper was back in the action with another top stop, diving to his left to tip the ball around the post. Airidas Golambeckis also did well to clear to ball off the line twice in quick succession.

Rayan Oyebade then kept the Hammers in the game, with a great bit of defending to scoop the ball over the bar, before Dan Rigge and Tyron Akpata led the charge with their trickery in the middle on show in the second half.

Rigge showed a great bit of skill to beat his man and hit the post, before Mehmet Halim, set up by Akpata, found the net in minute 90 to set up a tense end.

The hosts, sitting second in the U18 Premier League North Division, held on, however, and progressed to the last four at West Ham’s expense.

West Ham United U18s: Herrick, Medine, Briggs, Golambeckis, Mayers, Oyebade, Akpata (c), Caliste (Kamara 75), Rigge (Hargan 81), Ajala (Halim 75), Fawunmi (Dike 75)
Subs not used: Hooper (GK)

Goal: Halim 90

Booked: Hargan

Coggin proud of young Hammers showing

A tough result to take but a chance to grow from the experience was the message from assistant coach Lauris Coggin.

With five U16s in the matchday squad, the Hammers battled well to force a tense end, with the hosts hanging on in the final moments in Manchester.

Coggin was pleased with the performance against one of the top Academy sides in the country and said: “We are proud to come here and go toe-to-toe with a strong side.

“The group that we had was young and showed a lot for us to be excited about over the coming weeks. It is a great achievement to get to this stage of the competition. Over the past few years, we have set really high standards and that is something we want to continue.

“I think the maturity and understanding that the young players played with is something we are really pleased about.

“They need to continue to take responsibility, though. We have a very young group, so we need them to keep stepping up. We are really pleased with what they have offered so far.”