Under 18 2 - 1 West Ham United U18 - Match Report

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HOW IT HAPPENED

Our under-18s returned to winning ways on Saturday as they beat West Ham United 2-1 at London Colney.

Summer signing Joel Lopez helped to create the first golden opportunity with a storming run down the left wing to pick out Yunus Musah, who beat his marker, shifted the ball onto his right foot and fizzed an effort narrowly past the post.

We continued to play our free-flowing football from back to front - and in the seventh minute we opened the scoring through Flo Balogun. Following a good spell of possession, Trae Coyle picked out the 17-year-old inside the box, who took a touch and found the bottom right corner with a left-footed finish.

Bayli Spencer-Adams’ looping header then sailed wide of the post from a set-piece routine, while at the other end Amadou Diallo slipped inside the six-yard box and failed to convert for the visitors.

We dominated the game throughout the opening 45 minutes, but just three minutes into the second half the Hammers drew level.

Rosaire Longelo tried his luck from a tight angle and called Arthur Okonkwo into action, but he could only parry the ball into the feet of Aji Alese, who was left with the simple task of firing home.

It looked as if the visitors had done just enough defensively to secure a share of the spoils, but with seven minutes remaining Matthew Smith played a defence-splitting pass into the path of Vontae Daley-Campbell, who picked out Stanley Flaherty with a lofted cross. The substitute wriggled free inside the box and delivered a thumping header into the bottom left corner, sealing all three points.