Leicester City U18s 1-1 West Ham United U18s
U18 Premier League South, Leicester City Training Ground, Saturday 14 September 2024, 12pm BST
A youthful West Ham United U18s side battled to a 1-1 draw against early U18 Premier League pace setters Leicester City, in a tightly contested encounter at Leicester City Training Ground.
With several players returning from international duty and others sidelined due to injury, some of the younger Hammers from the U16 set-up were given a chance to step up. Strong defensive displays from both teams turned the match into a tactical contest, where opportunities were hard-earned. Elisha Sowunmi gave West Ham the lead on 69 minutes, but a late equaliser from Josh King ensured the points were shared in a closely-fought clash.
Leicester started brightly, forcing West Ham goalkeeper Finley Hooper into action early with a superb save just six minutes in. Not long after, a deflected shot from Laolu Omobolaji had Hooper scrambling again, but he did well to tip it over the bar. As Leicester grew in confidence, they created more chances and pressed West Ham into their own half, with Golambeckis standing out with some excellent defending to deny a two-on-one attack.
The Hammers struggled to break out initially, with Leicester’s tentative press encouraging plenty of build-up play between Hooper and his centre-back partnership Airidas Golambeckis and Tomas Jonyla. West Ham’s first shot on goal would come at the half-an-hour mark, when Riley Hargan broke the Leicester counter-press and released Andre Dike. Although Dike’s shot from just outside the box was parried by the Leicester goalkeeper, Mehmet Halim was unable to latch onto the rebound.
In the second half, the game opened up with both sides pushing forward. Leicester nearly took the lead, but Hooper produced another fine save with his feet to keep the score level. West Ham continued to search for an opener and found it in the 69th minute when captain Preston Fearon surged forward from midfield. Looking for options either side of the penalty area, he linked up with Jethro Medine on the right, whose excellent pullback from the byline found Sowunmi unmarked for a simple finish.
Leicester responded 15 minutes later. An impressive solo run from Jeremy Monga set up King to poke home the equaliser. Despite going down to ten men following Jake Evans’ red card for a heavy challenge on Reece Clairmont, the Foxes did not relent and looked the most likely to grab a second.
With both sides battling hard in a feisty end to the game, it ultimately finished with a share of the points.
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Medine, Golambeckis, Jonyla, Scanlon (Beckford 70), Hargan (Ehbo 70), Caliste, Fearon ©, Sowunmi, Dike (Chigwada 31), Halim (Clairmont 52)
Sub not used: Awesu (GK)
Goal: Sowunmi (69)
Booked: Jonyla, Fearon, Caliste
Sowunmi: There are positives to take, but we wanted all three points
Reflecting on a hard-fought draw against joint league leaders Leicester, goalscorer Elisha Sowunmi expressed mixed emotions but remained upbeat about the team's overall performance.
He said: “The dressing room was a bit down after full-time, especially with them going down to ten men. We felt like we should have won the game. There are positives to take, though. We battled hard, but we’re disappointed not to come away with all three points.”
Speaking on his second U18s Premier League goal of the season, Sowunmi praised the build-up play from teammate Jethro Medine. He said: “Jethro always looks to get down the byline and whip in a cross, so I knew I had to be ready. I positioned myself well and was able to adjust my feet to finish. It’s always great to add to my goalscoring tally.”
Coggin: An immense feeling of pride for these young players
Lead coach Lauris Coggin expressed his pride in the resilience shown by his youthful side, who earned a point against a strong Leicester team despite missing several key players.
He said: “I’ve got an immense feeling of pride. The squad is so young, and they showed real character out there. We faced some tough moments, but I thought the boys did well to manage the momentum of the game. Airidas was exceptional, Finley in goal was outstanding too. We’re promoting certain values every day, and today, the lads showed that."
Returning from his England U18s debut, Golambeckis earned high praise from his coach for his commanding performance in defence.
“He was exceptional,” Coggin continued. “In possession and out of possession, he put his body on the line and stepped up when it mattered. His body language was spot on throughout the game. He just needs to stay humble, which I know he will."
