West Ham United U18s are off the mark for the new season after picking up their first point in the U18 Premier League South with a draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, and registering their first win of the campaign, a 2-0 victory at home to Nottingham Forest in the U18 Premier League Cup.
Their positive string of results comes after a narrow opening day defeat to Arsenal, where they were unlucky not to come away with at least a point.
With key players like centre-back Rayan Oyebade and captain Preston Fearon sidelined due to injury, and Emeka Adiele and Josh Ajala missing due to commitments with the U21s, lead coach Lauris Coggin fielded even younger sides than the eleven that faced Arsenal the previous week.
A full-debut for U15s Lithuanian international Tomas Jonyla against Brighton was followed by another full 90 minutes on Tuesday in the U18 Premier League Cup against Forest. His U16s teammate Joe Scanlon also impressed, coming on as a wing-back in the second half against Brighton, where he set up the Hammers’ equaliser, before making his full debut in the win against Forest.
Reflecting on the younger players' performances, Coggin said: "Our young team played with maturity and enthusiasm. We’re all pleased for Joe and Tomas, but it’s no more than we expect. They’re two players who continue to show their quality and grasp their opportunities."
In their second U18 Premier League match, the young Hammers displayed the resilience that nearly saw them mount a valiant comeback against Arsenal. On a wet morning on the South Coast, Brighton took the lead midway through the first half through Joe Belmont. Brighton's defence held firm until a late West Ham attack finally broke through.
With the home side sitting deep to protect their lead, Hammers goalkeeper Fin Hooper rushed to reach a Brighton clearance on the halfway line. Chased down by Nehemiah Oriola, Hooper kept his composure, lofting the ball down the line to young Scanlon, who beat his man before delivering a superb cross to the penalty spot. A diving header from Airidas Golambeckis ensured West Ham would take a point from their trip to the Seagulls.
With only a couple of days of rest, the U18s returned to action on Tuesday at Little Heath against Nottingham Forest. Goals either side of half time from centre-half pairing Golambeckis and Chinaza Nwosu secured all three points in their U18 Premier League Cup Group D opener. The Hammers will face group leaders Everton on 29 October before their final group game against Southampton on 23 November.
"The performances in our last two games have been a testament to the hard work the players have put in since day one of pre-season," Coggin commented. "There has been clarity in our ideas, and the boys have shown how much the Academy values mean to us.
"We're pleased with how we managed key moments against Forest, and the result is no more than what we deserved. The next step is to play with even more control throughout.”
Following two fixtures in quick succession, Coggin and his young Hammers are currently on a two-and-a-half-week break for the international period before travelling to Leicester on 14 September.
"We have a lot to improve on, and the time away from competitive football will give us the opportunity to do just that.”
