Blaise Uwandji and Liam Jones were both amongst the goals as West Ham United U18s put in a commanding performance to beat Leicester City 3-1 on Saturday.
The duo were restored to the lineup at the Leicester City FC Training Ground after Kevin Keen made ten changes to the side that secured the U18 Premier League South title against Arsenal last time out.
Uwandji gave the Hammers an early lead, tapping the ball into the net from close range after Liam Jones’ unselfish square pass. Jones quickly fired the Irons two goals ahead before Amani Richards halved the deficit ten minutes before half-time.
Jones and Uwandji linked up to good effect once again at the start of the second half, and the latter secured his brace to seal the three points for the Irons.
Jones was delighted to play a key role in the victory, ahead of an important week for the Hammers.
“I saw today as a big opportunity for me,” Jones told whufc.com. “We have a Youth Cup final on Tuesday and I was determined to make an impact on the game today. I managed to get a goal and an assist really early which was positive.
“I managed to assist Blaise again right at the start of the second half so I was pleased with my performance. It’s not all about numbers though, first and foremost it’s about working hard and helping the team. I was able to do that today and it was great that the goal contributions came with that.”
After a difficult end to the first half, Uwandji immediately restored West Ham’s two goal lead at the start of the second half.
The 17-year-old was delighted to help the team with two goals.
“I think it’s probably my best game with the U18s,” Uwandji reflected. “Game time isn’t always easy to come by in such a talented group so I was pleased to show what I can do today. Both goals were down to me supporting Liam with attacking runs and thankfully he found me both times.
“My second goal came at a really important time. We had to regroup at half-time and it was important to keep our composure, especially because we had a young team out. The good start to the second half helped us a lot and allowed us to play really well from that point onwards.”
Uwandji is now focused on finishing the season as strongly as possible, with an FA Youth Cup final against Arsenal next up for the young Hammers.
He continued: “It’s so important for us to finish the season strongly. We’ve got three important games left now and we want to win them all.
“The season isn’t done yet so we need to stay focused. We’ll keep our foot on the gas and we will keep training hard.”
Jones also has his eyes set on Tuesday night’s clash at the Emirates Stadium, and suggests that the whole squad has a part to play.
“We all know that it’s a big game on Tuesday and a massive opportunity for us," Jones said. "We have been training really well and our intensity has been really good. We’re preparing in the same way that we always do and we’re focused on what we need to do.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a starter, if you’re on the bench or if you’re not in the match day squad, everyone is going to play a big part on Tuesday. It’s a big challenge but one that we’re ready for.”
