Under-18s edged out by Hammers in end-to-end contest

Our Under-18s fell to their third league defeat of the season in a lively contest at West Ham United on Saturday morning.

Luca Williams-Barnett opened the scoring with a stunning effort from the halfway line before the Hammers fought back to put themselves in control at the break.

Airidas Golambeckis levelled the game with a header from a short free-kick, before two deflected efforts from Andre Dike sandwiched a goal from Elisha Sowunmi to put the Irons 4-1 up at the interval.

Williams-Barnett pulled one back for Stuart Lewis' side with 20 minutes to play and the hosts were subsequently reduced to 10 men, but held firm in the closing stages to take the three points with a 4-2 final scoreline.

Herbie James tried to fashion the first chance in the second minute as Harry Byrne played an astute ball through the defensive line, James' effort was blocked as he was brought down, but the appeals were waved away. Tynan Thompson and Calum Logan then linked up down the left wing and it was crossed to the back post but Reiss Elliott-Parris - on his first league start at this level - couldn't make the most of the chance as it was bundled clear.

Williams-Barnett then opened the scoring 11 minutes in - and in some style! As we broke clear on the counter, he spotted the keeper off his line and took aim from inside the centre circle, and fired a pinpoint shot into the back of the net. Two minutes later he was in again, a ball over the top dropped kindly but as he took aim the linesman's flag went up. The hosts then immediately went down the other end and won a free-kick out on the left, it was taken short and floated in for Golambeckis to head home to level the game.

A long ball then found Thompson out on the left again, he cut in and fired goalwards from distance but his low effort was well saved, before the midfielder and Logan then linked up again down the left before switching it to Elliott-Parris on the right, his cross was dipping towards the back post but went just wide.

After the half-hour mark the Hammers took the lead thanks to a deflected effort from Dike, which left Sam Archer stranded, and doubled their advantage seven minutes later as Archer got low to make a big save from a one-on-one, only for the ball to land kindly to Sowunmi for a close-range finish. Dike fired goalwards again and a cruel deflection completely changed the flight of the ball for a fourth with 40 minutes on the clock, putting the Irons firmly in control.

But we kept pushing as Byrne's corner was punched straight to Thompson who fired over, before Archer saved a second one-on-one, staying on his feet to push the opposition wide before stealing the ball with a low dive. The final chance of the half saw Williams-Barnett fire wide at the near post after a neat passing move let him in down the left.

Within a minute of the restart James took aim but the West Ham keeper was equal to it. Archer then made another strong save low to his left from a close range effort, before Jun'ai Byfield cleared one off the line 10 minutes into the second half.

Thompson was again lively down the left and broke into another dangerous position inside the box, but his effort was just the wrong side of the near post. A wayward back pass then gifted a chance to Williams-Barnett who took it first time from range, but it was straight at the keeper. West Ham then went straight up the other end and worked it to Chinaza Nwosu, his first effort was saved by the feet of Archer, before he blasted the follow up effort over the bar.

Substitute Miracle Adewole fired goalwards after linking up with Thompson, but his effort was blocked before Thompson had a go himself six minutes after when he turned his man down the left and shot from the edge of the box but his effort was saved. Williams-Barnett then bagged his second as a perfectly weighted ball over the top dropped kindly to his feet, he steadied himself before chipping it over the keeper from the edge of the box.

Emeka Adiele was then dismissed for the hosts with 12 minutes to play and Williams-Barnett and Adewole immediately looked to make the advantage count, a one-two set the former into the box and he took it round Finley Hooper in the Hammers' net, only for his shot to be blocked by a sliding challenge.

The final chances of the game both fell to Thompson, the first was a curling effort that beat the keeper but just dropped the wrong side of the far post, which was followed a minute later when a neat passing move created space for a shot from the edge of the box, but again it was wide of the far post.