Middlesbrough U21s 1-1 West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Riverside Stadium, Friday 11 April 2025, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s came from behind to secure at least a top-five seeding in the Premier League 2 table with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough U21s at the Riverside Stadium, setting up a home tie in the upcoming play-offs.
It was the worst possible start for the young Hammers, who fell behind inside the opening minute. A ball over the top from Cain Sykes released Boro down the right, and Charlie Lennon was on hand at the far post to steer a low cross back across goal to give the hosts an early lead.
But the response from Mark Robson’s side was immediate. Kamarai Swyer and Emeka Adiele combined well on the left to create West Ham’s first opening, before Lewis Orford almost levelled with an effort from the edge of the box.
The equaliser soon followed, and it came courtesy of an excellent long ball from the captain. From almost the halfway line, Orford executed a perfectly volleyed pass over the top into the path of Swyer. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Swyer kept his composure to roll the ball into the bottom corner and restore parity.
An outrageous pass from Orford. Swyer making sure it counted 🎯 pic.twitter.com/o2sn26jTFn
— West Ham United (@WestHam) April 11, 2025
With momentum now in their favour, West Ham came within inches of taking the lead. Orford was brought down on the edge of the area and Tyron Akpata, from the resulting free-kick, saw his effort cannon off the crossbar.
Middlesbrough remained a threat, pressing high and looking to force errors in West Ham’s defensive third, but the visitors stood firm. Lennon went close again for the hosts, while Swyer was denied a second by a strong save from Boro goalkeeper Shea Connor late in the half.
After the break, the Hammers started brightly. A slick move from back to front, starting from goalkeeper Fin Herrick, nearly led to a goal as Adiele raced through, only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle from Sykes to keep the scores level.
Orford continued to pull the strings, dictating play with Akpata in midfield, and sparking several dangerous transitions. One such run from deep saw him brought down on the edge of the Boro box, and from the resulting free-kick, he forced a sharp save from Connor at his far post.
Despite both teams pushing for a winner in six minutes of added time, the high tempo of the game inevitably dipped slightly as both sides ended up cancelling each other out, settling for a share of the spoils.
The draw confirms at least a top-five finish in the Premier League 2 standings, pending results elsewhere over the weekend, which secures the young Hammers home advantage for the play-off last 16 tie.
West Ham United U21s: Herrick, Briggs, Brown, Akpata (Rigge 88), Golambeckis 68), Mayers, Moore, Orford ©, Ajala, Swyer, Adiele
Subs not used: Terry (GK), Medine
Goal: Swyer 11
Booked: Moore, Swyer
Middlesbrough U21s: Connor, Dede, Samuels (B. Palmer 62), Sykes (Lindo 75), McGormick ©, James, Patterson-Powell (A. Palmer 71), Stott, Bakre (Coulson 75), Lennon, Acheampong
Subs not used: Fisher (GK)
Goal: Lennon 1
Booked: Patterson-Powell, Dede, Stott
Robson: The belief is there. We’ll go into the play-offs with that mentality
Friday’s result capped off a run of form that has seen the young Hammers pick up the most points of any team in 2025. Reflecting on the journey so far, lead coach Mark Robson praised his side’s development and the winning mentality they’ve built along the way.
“We’ve had a great season, we've played some fantastic football,” he said. “The boys are developing, they're getting better, and they're learning to win. That’s as important as the developing, and I think we’ve done both really well.”
With 12 wins from 20 games and strong contributions across the squad, Robson credited the unity and commitment of everyone involved in driving standards.
“We’re a really young group, with plenty of our U18s making the step up, and in terms of development, I think it’s been brilliant,” he continued. “Credit to the boys, credit to the staff, all the U21s staff, because everybody’s put the time and effort in to help and improve these players.
“Some of the players have really excelled this year. They’ve gone to another level, maybe even a little bit more than we expected, which is great. But I think the most important thing really is the performances, both in possession and out of possession. The players are really clear on their roles and what the framework looks like for us. But at the same time, once you come out of that structure, the individualism we’ve had, we’ve shown some real quality this season.”
With the regular season now complete, the focus now shifts to the play-offs which Robson believes his players will approach with the confidence and belief that led them to a top five seeding.
“It’s been a terrific season, I said that to the boys at the end of the game. We’ve now got to focus on what is a knockout competition. I think the belief is there. We’ll go into the play-offs with that mentality.”
