West Ham United U21s v Stoke City U21s
Premier League 2, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 26 January, 7pm GMT
West Ham United U21s will continue their Premier League 2 campaign when Stoke City visit east London on Friday evening.
The young Hammers are currently second in the standings, having lost just one of their eleven league fixtures so far.
After returning to winning ways with a 4-2 triumph over West Bromwich Albion last time out - following a Bristol Street Motors Trophy defeat at Wycombe Wanderers in their previous outing - Steve Potts’ side could stretch a run of league victories to six games should they defeat Stoke.
Read our full preview below...
Tickets...
Tickets can be purchased at the turnstiles, priced at just £3 for Adults and £1 for Under-18s.
Season Ticket Holders can attend for free.
Travel...
The postcode for Rush Green Stadium - situated at West Ham United’s first-team training ground - is RM7 0LU.
To access the ground via public transport, fans can take a train to Romford station, then board a 5, 103 or 175 bus for the 15-minute ride and get off at the Barton Avenue stop.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
Fans wishing to attend this Premier League 2 fixture by car should note that parking at Rush Green Stadium is extremely limited and cannot be guaranteed.
How To Follow...
A live stream of the fixture will be available across the Club’s website and YouTube channel.
A match report, highlights and reaction will also follow shortly after the full-time whistle.
Opposition…
Stoke City sit in 12th place in the Premier League 2 table, with five wins and five defeats from their first ten games.
Friday’s visitors showed their quality last time out, as a Nathan Lowe hat-trick helped them beat Manchester City 5-1 and register a fourth straight victory in the league.
They have also beaten Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, and will pose another stern test for the Hammers to overcome in east London.
Player's Perspective…
More of the same is the message from Jacob Knightbridge, in the wake of the 4-2 win over West Brom last time out.
The young Hammers showed great mentality to get over the line in the end - following a late onslaught from the Baggies - thanks to goals from Kamarai Swyer, George Earthy, Michael Forbes and Dan Rigge.
A winning league start to the new year pleased the young goalkeeper, although he admits there is still room for improvement.
Knightbridge stated: “Even though the team has done well this season, which means I’ve not had much to do [in terms of saves], I am still offering a lot with passing because that’s how we play.
“There have been games where it’s been the opposite and I have to make quite a few saves too, but the focus is on Stoke City on Friday, and we want to keep winning games and catch [leaders] Tottenham.
“The group are up for that challenge, and we have just got to keep doing what we are doing. Working hard, scoring, and keeping the ball out of the net as well. If we keep doing that we will stay at the top end of the table, which is the aim for us all.”
Team News...
Recalled from his loan at EFL League Two side Crawley Town, Kamarai Swyer will seek to score in successive Premier League 2 matches, having found the net against West Brom earlier this month.
Across the development squad, winger Thierry Nevers completed a permanent transfer to Moldovan Super Liga side FC Sheriff Tiraspol recently, while defender Billy Bates and midfielder Archie Woods have left the club by mutual agreement.
The Story So Far…
The U21s are currently four points behind leaders Tottenham, having recorded five wins on the bounce in Premier League 2.
An incredible 21 goals have arrived across those five games, and Potts’ outfit will be hoping to continue 2024 with a similarly clinical display in front of goal.
The Hammers have not fallen to a league defeat since the opening day, having won eight and drawn two of their last ten matches including a memorable 5-1 win over Crystal Palace in December.
