Ebbsfleet United 1-2 West Ham United U21s
Pre-season match, Kuflink Stadium, Friday 15 July 2022
An Armstrong Okoflex double in the first-half was enough to secure a 2-1 win for West Ham United U21s away to Ebbsfleet United.
Okoflex’s penalty on 18 minutes, given after a foul on Regan Clayton in the penalty area, was followed by a first-time, left-footed strike just two minutes before half-time to put the Irons in control at the Kuflink Stadium.
Ebbsfleet struck back on the brink of half-time through Joe Martin’s header, having hit the woodwork through Rakish Bingham’s effort just minutes before.
The young Hammers were able to hold on against the attacking onslaught of the experienced non-league side in the second half, claiming a first victory of the pre-season schedule.
The first chance fell the away of the away side on ten minutes, as Pierre Ekwah showed his strength to retain possession in midfield before slotting a clever pass through for Thierry Nevers. The evening’s No9 dipped his shoulder and got past his defender, but his effort was wide of the far post.
The experienced Ebbsfleet United side looked to contain the young Irons and, having penned in the visitors for an extended spell, fired their first shot off via Rakish Bingham; his sliced-effort not troubling Krisztian Hegyi.
It was from the next phase that the Hammers took the lead. Kamarai Swyer’s superb work in the middle leg to a ball into Nevers. The forward again looked to play the ball on to the overlapping Clayton, who was brought down. Penalty to West Ham.
Okoflex would take the spot-kick and, despite Fleet goalkeeper Chris Haigh diving the right way, there was too much power on the strike. The lead belonged to West Ham.
The National League South side immediately sought to counter and could have levelled straight from kick-off. Greg Cundle pulled a cross back across the box for Bingham. The striker’s first-time effort had Hegyi beaten but hit the woodwork.
Ebbsfleet came forward again as Dominic Poleon got free on the left-flank, seeing a curling effort pushed away by captain Hegyi.
Freddie Potts found Nevers on the counter with a sensational through pass. The attacker got his head up and found Okoflex across the Ebbsfleet area, who clinically powered a finish home with his left foot at the near post.
The home side would pull a goal back before half-time. Swyer looked to clear an Ebbsfleet free-kick but his header would fall kindly for Martin, who turned home past Hegyi to half West Ham’s lead at the break.
Lead coach Mark Robson used the half-time interval to introduce two new faces in Jamal Baptiste and Archie Woods, and it was the latter’s tenacity that helped Appiah-Forson to steal possession on 53 minutes and drive through on goal. The midfielder’s shot was well saved, and tipped onto the woodwork.
Ebbsfleet continued to push for the leveller and twice Poleon went close. The forward powered an effort over Hegyi’s goal just before the hour mark before missing with a close-range header that, in truth, he should have done better with.
Okoflex would find Swyer on the outside of the near post with a clever ball on 74 minutes, with his low, first-time effort narrowly wide.
Both sides would continue to push for opportunities, but the Irons development side were able to hold on for a first win in their pre-season schedule.
Ebbsfleet United: Haigh, O’Neill (Romain 60), Martin (Monlouis 60), Solly (Sterling-James 60), N’Guessan (Chapman 60), Wright, Cundle (Domi 60), McQueen (Jombati 60), Tanner (Hollis 60), Bingham (Trialist A 60), Poleon
Subs: Firth, Coulthirst, Finney
Goals: Martin 45,
West Ham United U21s: Hegyi (c), Greenidge (Cardoso 58), Laing (Casey 58), Forbes, Clayton (Baptiste 46), Potts (Woods 46), Ekwah, Swyer, Appiah-Forson (Earthy 75), Okoflex (Coddington 75), Nevers (Robinson 58)
Subs not used: Kinnear, Knightbridge
Goals: Okoflex (p) 18, 43,