West Ham United U17s claimed the London Cup after an outstanding 4-1 victory over Arsenal in the final at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
The Irons made a superb start to the fixture, racing into a 3-0 lead in the opening 26 minutes of Wednesday’s outing. Arsenal hit back immediately after the interval and the east Londoners were put to the test as the Gunners pressed for their second and a foothold back in the match.
After withstanding heavy pressure, the Hammers added a fourth, sealing victory and a London Cup triumph.
The London Cup is an Under-17s tournament which was coordinated centrally by West Ham United. Six clubs based within the city of London were invited to participate, with Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Millwall, Stevenage and Watford joining the Irons in the competition.
The tournament, which began back in September, was structured into three phases. The group stage ran from September to February, while the semi-finals were played in March before the final on Wednesday.
U18s assistant coach Mark Phillips was thrilled with the team’s performance in victory over Arsenal.
“It was a game of two halves,” he said. “I think it was also a game of us rising to the occasion, we didn’t make too many mistakes and when Arsenal made mistakes, we punished them.
“There’s obviously more to it than just tonight though. We won our group, we played well in the semi-finals and also used a few under 16s, and then we have our performance in the final as well.
“I said to the players before the match that you don’t get the opportunity to play in too many cup finals in Academy football. It was a good experience for them to have, because if they make it into the first team, they’ll be playing in lots of cups and hopefully more cup finals.”
The Irons took the advantage just after ten minutes against Arsenal as Lewis Orford struck from distance; his effort too powerful for Arsenal’s goalkeeper.
West Ham shot-stopper Mason Terry was called into action moments later and the save would prove crucial, with Divin Mubama netting the Hammers’ second moments later as he latched onto a defensive error and decisively struck with a left-footed effort.
Only a few moments later, the Irons would find their third as Callum Marshall raced onto a through ball. His shot was well saved but pushed into the path of George Earthy, who gratefully rolled the ball into the empty net.
Terry was again called upon just before the interval to deny a powerful strike, which was tipped over by the young Hammers goalkeeper, ensuring a 3-0 advantage at the interval.
Arsenal, to their credit, continued to press in the second half and were rewarded for their tenacity on 50 minutes. The North London side won possession of the ball high up the pitch before a left footed shot curled into the bottom corner.
With the lead reduced to two, the Hammers’ defence was put to the test as the Gunners looked for a comeback. Arsenal forced the Irons into more strong defending, while Terry continued to stand resolute between the sticks.
West Ham were rewarded for their strong defending on 76 minutes when Orford netted his second, and the home side’s fourth. A cross from the left fell kindly for the midfielder on the edge of the Arsenal area, who volleyed home a superb strike to secure the London Cup.
Phillips lavished praise on goalkeeper Terry for his efforts in the win, with the shot-stopper awarded the Man Of The Match award for his performance.
The coach added: “Masson was excellent. He was really assured and made some fantastic saves.
“He has had to be really patient this year. He’s been with the U18s with Jacob Knightbridge and he’s been on the bench quite a lot, but he’s waited his turn and never complained.
“He did himself absolutely no harm last night, he did really well. Sometimes you see man of the match awards that are up for debate. He thoroughly deserved it last night.”
The young Irons success in the London Cup came after the side finished top of Group A with two wins and a draw. The side defeated Stevenage 3-0 in the last four to secure a place in the final while Arsenal booked their spot after beating Millwall 2-1.
