Our under-18s were beaten 2-0 by Coventry City at Little Heath on Saturday morning.
Tony Carr fielded a young side, containing two schoolboy players, although it took the visitors until the 80th minute to find the breakthrough, before the victory was secured with the last kick of the game.
With a number of youth team players involved with the reserves recently, Carr named under-16 pair Jordan Spence and Tom Harvey in his starting line-up and, although Hammers battled bravely throughout, they were unable to create any clear-cut chances.
Striker Zavon Hines saw a couple of half-chances go begging, and the game looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw until a lapse in concentration at a free-kick allowed Coventry to take the lead with 10 minutes remaining.
As Hammers committed men forward in search of an equaliser, the visitors broke away in the final minute to add a second and make sure of all three points.
Tony Carr said afterwards: "We had a very young side out today and, overall, we just weren't strong enough to trouble Coventry in offensive areas.
"The boys gave plenty of effort and determination, and it did appear that a draw could be on the cards, but we switched off at a free-kick and gifted them a goal.
"It was always going to be an uphill task for us, and it was slightly disappointing that we couldn't create any decent chances, but the players worked hard and they will take this on the chin and keep going."
Hammers: Blackmore; Andrews, Spence (Davidson 80), Tomkins, Widdowson; Harvey, Hales, Collison (Ngala 60), Welsh (Fitzgerald 60); Hines, Jeffery.