Braintree Town v West Ham United U21s
National League Cup Group D, Cressing Road, Tuesday 5 November 2024, 7.45pm GMT
West Ham United U21s travel to Essex on Tuesday evening for their inaugural National League Cup tie away to Braintree Town.
The development side will be looking to score their first victory of the season against senior opposition, having been knocked out of the EFL Trophy in the group stages with no points to show for their efforts.
How To Follow…
A live stream of the fixture will be available across the Club’s website and YouTube channel. A match report and reaction will also follow shortly after the full-time whistle. Highlights will be available on Wednesday.
Tickets...
Tickets will not be sold in advance for Tuesday evening’s match. Admission will be payable at Cressing Road at turnstiles 1-4 on the day.
| Category | Price |
| Adult | £10 |
| OAP | £5 |
| Under 18 | £5 |
Travel...
The postcode for Cressing Road, home of Braintree Town, is CM7 3AL. To access the ground via public transport, fans can take the Greater Anglia service to Braintree, departing from London Liverpool Street which calls at stations including Stratford, Shenfield and Chelmsford.
The ground is approximately a 20-minute walk from Braintree station. Alternatively, local bus services run from the town centre to Cressing Road, with routes including the 30 and 38 buses passing by Victoria Street, a five minute walk from the station.
National League Cup explained…
The new competition pits 16 National League clubs – the fifth tier of senior men’s football – against 16 Premier League 2 sides, with the twin aims of giving National League clubs the chance to host the best U21 teams in England in their own stadia, while also offering young players from Premier League and EFL clubs the opportunity to test themselves against senior opposition.
The participants are split into four groups of eight – four from the National League and four from Premier League 2 – with the National League teams hosting a group-stage tie against each of the four Premier League 2 sides in their group.
The top two finishers in each of the four groups will qualify for the quarter-finals. West Ham have been drawn in Group D alongside National League clubs Braintree Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet United and Sutton United, as well as fellow Premier League 2 sides Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion.
Coach's View...
Despite a challenging spell in terms of results for the development side, lead coach Mark Robson believes the team’s performances have shown promise and that their approach has merited stronger outcomes. Robson is confident that with continued focus, the team is close to turning things around.
“We played really well against Cheltenham and stood up to the test in a tough environment," he noted. "It’s not as if we’re playing badly; there’s not a huge amount to change in how we’re approaching these games. The performances have been positive. What we really need now is to find that extra quality in the final third to convert our chances into goals.”
Opposition…
In their first season back in the National League since 2019, Braintree Town have 13 points from their opening 16 league games. The Iron gained promotion from National League South via the Play-Offs, beating current West Ham U21s’ striker Brad Dologhan’s Worthing in extra-time in the final.
Although their defensive record is comparable to some of the strongest teams in the National League this season, it has been at the other end of the pitch where they have been struggling for form. The Iron are the lowest scoring team in the division with just eleven goals, failing to score in eight of their 16 outings.
On the other hand, West Ham U21s are without a clean sheet since their Premier League 2 victory over Newcastle in September and, having conceded first in their last five games, Braintree will see Tuesday evening’s fixture as an opportunity to rekindle their scoring form.
If head coach Angelo Harrop decides to not rotate goalkeepers for their National League Cup tie, fans may recognise Lucas Covolan between the sticks. Arguably Braintree’s player of the season so far, the Brazilian shot stopper was part of National League South side Maidstone’s FA Cup run last season where he made 12 saves in their Round 4 upset against Ipswich Town.
The Story So Far…
West Ham United U21s are currently going through a rough patch of form with four defeats in their last four games in all competitions.
Nonetheless, the young Hammers still sit comfortably nestled within the Premier League 2 play-off places and will look to kickstart their National League Cup campaign with a positive result on Tuesday evening.
