Hammers Hold Fulham


HAMMERS Reserves have earned a creditable 0-0 draw against Fulham at Motspur Park, with four players making their debuts for Kevin Keen's team.

It was an evenly matched contest between two teams fielding young line-ups. West Ham's resources had been depleted by the FA Youth Cup Quarter-Final 24 hours earlier. Schoolboy Joe Widdowson made his Reserve team debut at left-back, even though he still hasn't represented the Club at Under-18 level, while Richard Georgiou, Ryan Andrews and Densal Davidson all made their full debuts.

Hammers put in a hard-working performance in a game of precious few goalscoring chances. The closest they came to scoring was in the second-half when a neat move resulted in a cross reaching midfielder Sam Wright, but his header came back off the crossbar.

At the other end, Dusan Kuciak, making his second Reserve team appearance for the Hammers, was rarely troubled as the defence held firm.

Kevin Keen said after the game: "It was a hard working performance and it was great to keep a clean sheet, our first in eight games.

"We gave a very solid defensive performance. Perhaps we could have passed the ball better, but we did create one very good chance through Sam Wright's header, which hit the bar.

"There were four boys making their full debuts and Joe Widdowson, who is still a schoolboy, came in and did very well. Because of the FA Youth Cup, we had to field a patched up side and it was a very pleasing result."

WHU: Kuciak; Andrews, Widdowson, Laws, Blewitt, Bunce, Georgiou (Ephraim 45), Wright, Pearson, Davidson, Keen. Subs unused: Reed (GK), Ashikodi, Allen, Henry.