HAMMERS Under-18s have lost 3-2 to Fulham at Little Heath,
having clawed back a two goal half-time deficit.
Perhaps still hung over from their midweek FA Youth Cup exit, Tony
Carr's team started the game slowly and fell behind with just
two minutes gone when Ishmael Ehui raced onto a through ball and
fired an angled drive past Matt Reed.
West Ham thought they had drawn level when Kyel Reid's
free-kick from the right flew into the Fulham net, but the goal was
ruled out for offside against Tony Stokes and Moses Ashikodi.
The pacy Saheem Sankoh shot wide for the Cottagers, before Moses
Ashikodi tested Mark Davidson in the Fulham goal with a thumping
effort that the 'keeper did well to gather at the second
attempt.
Reid, Ollie Allen and trialist Joe Martin all went close, before
Matt Reed produced a wonderful save from a long-range free-kick and
was relieved to see the rebound go wide.
Hammers were enjoying plenty of attacking possession, but it was
Fulham's forward line that proved more clinical, and on 40
minutes they added a second when Callum Legate finished coolly from
close range to send the Hammers in 2-0 down at the break.
West Ham came out for the second-half in determined mood, and they
were back in it on 51 minutes. Kyel Reid received the ball from
Tony Stokes and fired a shot across the area, which Moses Ashikodi
diverted wide of Davidson to make it 2-1.
With 71 minutes gone Stokes latched on to Ishmael Welsh's
through ball and fired in a shot, which Davidson did well to save
at his near post.
But momentum was with the Hammers, and three minutes later the home
side equalised. James Tomkin swung in a high cross from the right
and Ishmael Welsh met it with venom, heading powerfully past
Davidson to make it 2-2.
Hammers forced a succession of corners as they pushed for a winner,
but it was the Cottagers that grabbed the decisive third goal with
less than a minute remaining, Ehei scoring after the visitors broke
away from a Hammers corner.
WHU: Reed; Henry, Andrews, Tomkins, Blewitt, Cowley (Georgiou 72),
Allen (Welsh 59), Martin, Ashikodi (Ephraim 72), Stokes,
Reid.Mark
Youths Lose Out In Fulham Thriller
12th March 2005