West Ham United U18s 0-1 Aston Villa U18s
U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 26 April 2025, 11am BST
West Ham United U18s were narrowly defeated by a single goal against Aston Villa at Little Heath Training Ground on Saturday.
Ahead of their FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City a week on Monday, Aston Villa lead coach Jimmy Shan fielded a strong side expected to closely resemble the team that will contest the final against the defending champions.
With both Arsenal and Chelsea winning their league fixtures, only a win would do for Villa in order to keep pace with their London rivals at the top of Premier League South.
Lauris Coggin’s young Hammers, featuring an even more youthful side than usual with four schoolboys in the starting lineup, stood up really well to the challenge. The hosts defended resolutely for much of the game, creating clear chances of their own that could have swung the contest their way.
Although Villa pressed high and controlled the early possession, it took them 20 minutes to fashion their first real opportunity, a cross from Trai-Varn Mulley met by Jamaldeen Jimoh, whose header from close range went wide.
The young Hammers stayed patient, trusting that their moment would come if they weathered Villa’s early pressure. It nearly did soon after Jimoh’s miss. A clever forward pass from Chinaza Nwosu, played with his back to goal, released Jethro Medine through the middle. Medine shifted the ball wide to Riley Ebho, who pulled it back from the byline for Elisha Sowunmi. Sowunmi’s first-time effort wrong-footed the goalkeeper but ricocheted off the inside of the post.
A couple of smart saves from West Ham United schoolboy goalkeeper Tommy Goodger, along with a scuffed rebound from TJ Carroll following a Mason Cotcher free-kick, ensured the sides went into the break level.
Villa eventually broke the deadlock on 70 minutes. After winning possession high up the pitch, they worked the ball to Cole Brannigan on the edge of the area. His deft outside-of-the-boot pass picked out Cotcher, who was finally able to beat Goodger with a composed finish.
With Villa easing off slightly after taking the lead, West Ham found more rhythm in possession and almost found an equaliser on 81 minutes. Jonathan Unwin cleverly disguised a pass into Sowunmi’s path inside the box, but the forward's effort flew high over the crossbar.
In the very next passage of play, Villa almost doubled their advantage when a goal kick from Sam Proctor was played into Jimoh, who spun his marker and raced through on goal. Goodger stood tall and guessed correctly, saving well low to his left to keep the young Hammers in the contest.
Despite Goodger’s save, there would be no equaliser for the young Hammers who can hold their heads high following a brave performance against one of the best performing U18s sides of the 2024/25 season.
West Ham United U18s: Goodger, Ebho, Scanlon (Chigwada 90+5), Medine, Oyebade ©, Montague (Dike 90+2), Hargan (Unwin 72), Nwosu, Landers, Sowunmi, Caliste (Balogun 84)
Sub not used: Abraham (GK)
Booked: Oyebade
Aston Villa U18s: Proctor, Carroll (McWilliams), Rowe ©, Fortes (Burrowes HT), Routh, Jimoh, Hemmings, Mulley (Bloomfield 61), Quinn, Cotcher (Jenner 72), Brannigan
Sub not used: Asemota (GK)
Goals: Cotcher 70
