Barclays Premier Reserve League South
Arsenal v West Ham United
Monday 9 March 2009
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: A Sainsbury
WHUTV - ACTION AND REACTION TO COME
PLAYER STATISTICS I LEAGUE TABLE I FIXTURES AND RESULTS
Final score - Arsenal 0-1 West Ham United
Full time - A fantastic away win for Dyer's young reserve side. They fought hard at the back and created plenty of chances at the other end against an Arsenal side boasting five players with first-team experience. In contrast, only 'Gala and Stech have come close to first-team action with the Hammers, having been named on the bench by Gianfranco Zola this season. 881 fans saw this match and the claret and blue contingent will no doubt be going home delighted at seeing the next generation of potential stars make a big leap forward in their development.
90 min - Two minutes of added time to be played. The ball is in the Arsenal half and the Hammers need to make sure it stays there.
89 min - We are in the last few minutes at Underhill and the Hammers just need to see the game out for a superb away win.
86 min - Corner to the Hammers after some good pressing from Montano.
83 min - Stech makes a great fingertip save and then gets up quickly to gather the rebound. Dyer then makes his second change by bringing on Conor Okus for Bajner. Arsenal are forced into another change as the substitute Murphy has picked up a knock and has to leave the field. He is replaced by Sanchez Watts.
80 min - 'Gala mops up another Gunners attack. Tonight's captain and his fellow defenders have had a superb evening. Just ten more minutes to go...
78 min - Arsenal are pushing forward in search of an equaliser but the Hammers are remaining strong. Can Dyer's side hold on for the last 12 minutes to record a double over their north London rivals?
74 min - The lead is nearly doubled as Kearns tries a superb chip over Shea, but the Arsenal stopper gets back to just push the ball away.
72 min - GOAL! The pressure finally tells as Miller gives the Hammers the lead. After Grasser's ball forward, a cross-shot from Montano is only parried by Shea and the rebound falls to the on-rushing right-back. He makes no mistake with a firm finish low into the goal. Great moment for the young West Ham side.
70 min - But the Hammers hit back and good work from Matt Fry on the left leads to the Hammers nearly taking the lead. Dyer makes his first change by bringing on Christian Montano for Abdulla.
68 min - Good goalkeeping from Stech as he comes out to smother a through-ball as Arsenal threaten once more. Moments later Francis Coquelin drives a shot just wide.
66 min - The Gunners make the first change as Craig Eastwood leaves the field to be replaced by Rhys Murphy.
64 min - Abdulla goes down under a strong tackle and looks to be limping. Hopefully he will be able to shrug the knock off.
59 min - A fantastic tackle from Eyjolfsson prevents Sunu from shooting inside the area. Great play from the Icelandic central defender.
55 min - The Hammers nearly take the lead again as Grasser's corner is palmed away by Shea from underneath his own crossbar. That is twice Dyer's side have been inches away from the lead.
53 min - It is a surprisingly mild evening here, although some fans have opted for a hat and glove combination.
52 min - The first chance of the half goes Arsenal's way as Sunu blasts high and wide.
48 min - The fans here at Underhill are still making their way back to their seats with the food and drink bought at half-time. Luckily for them they have not missed too much action so far.
46 min - The second half has begun and both teams look unchanged.
Half-time - It proves to be the last bit of action of the half as the referee blows his whistle to draw it to a close. Both teams have had chances in an entertaining contest thus far, but the Hammers will feel hard done by that they are not leading after Kearns' great run at the end of the half.
44 min - So close! A mazy run from Kearns sees him beat three men. Then with the goal at this mercy he fires a left-footed shot in the smashes against the underside of the Arsenal crossbar. Great play from the 17 year old.
40 min - The Hammers fans are making themselves heard and are outsinging their counterparts supporting the home side, despite being outnumbered. Can their team respond with a goal?
38 min - Bischoff fires another shot in that Stech does well to parry as the home side threaten again.
35 min - More pressure from Arsenal as Miller makes a last-ditch sliding tackle to block Emmanuel-Thomas' shot. The Gunners play the resulting corner short and Wilshere fires inches wide.
32 min - One such break threatens as Wilshere evades Miller's tackle and feeds Amaury Bischoff, forcing 'Gala to come across and clear the danger. Good play from the Hammers No6.
29 min - More good play involving Lee and Bajner sees the midfielder narrowly overhit a through-ball on the edge of the area. The Hammers seem to be on top, although Arsenal have looked dangerous on the break.
25 min - A superb run and cross from Kearns forces Luke Ayling to head behind for a corner, which Arsenal scramble clear.
23 min - Lee floats a free-kick in from the halfway line and 'Gala rises highest to power a header at goal, which Shea holds. Referee Mr Sainsbury blows up for a foul from the United captain anyway.
20 min - Good play from Lee leads to Edgar being fouled on the edge of the area. Kearns tries a shot from the free-kick but if flies well over. Moments later, a tight offside call just denies Abdulla a run on goal. Much better from the Hammers.
17 min - Stech's kick then sets Anthony Edgar into some space on the left. He tricks his way past his man, but his cross is deflected off an Arsenal head to safety.
16 min - And the Czech stopper is called into action again as he uses his feet to divert a shot around the post.
14 min - Another good claim from Stech from a looping Arsenal cross. The No1 has shown some safe hands thus far.
11 min - Arsenal are seeing a lot of the ball in the first eleven minutes but, so far, Dyer's side have defended well. The West Ham manager is out in his technical area to shout out some more instructions to his side.
8 min - Another free-kick to the home side on the right touchline. It is driven in by Wilshere but Stech comes out to claim it. Good goalkeeping from the 18-year-old.
6 min - Free-kick to the Gunners 25 yards out after 'Gala trips Gilles Sunu. The set piece is driven straight into the West Ham wall. Bright start from both teams.
3 min - Early pressure from the visitors. A corner is only half cleared and when the ball is played back into the box, Matthew Fry finds himself in some space, but his left-footed shot is easily gathered by James Shea.
1 min - We're underway at Underhill
6.55pm - Arsenal have also named a youthful side with their first team in action on Wednesday in Rome. Gunners' manager Neil Banfield has included nine of Arsenal's FA Youth Cup side that beat Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter final last Thursday in his starting XI.
6.35pm - Kick-off is fast approaching and both teams are warming up out on the pitch. The West Ham outfield players, in the light blue away kit, are playing a bit of keep-ball while Jerome John warms up the goalkeepers.
6pm - Welcome to the Underhill home of Barnet FC, where Alex Dyer's reserves have travelled to take on Arsenal in their third London derby in a row. It is a new-look attack with Hungary Under-19 striker Balint Bajner linking up with youth-team partner Ahmed Abdulla, a former Arsenal prospect. Dyer is without the services of Zavon Hines, with a slight knee problem, and Jack Jeffery, who has been loaned to Eastbourne Borough while the match is also too soon for Terry Dixon, as he is still working on his fitness at Chadwell Heath.
Also absent from the 3-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur a fortnight ago is the versatile Josh Payne, 18, and 19-year-old winger Junior Stanislas with both very much in Gianfranco Zola's first-team plans. Stanislas had scored the only goal of the game in the reverse fixture back in October. The 17-year-old midfielders Daniel Kearns and Oliver Lee are the youngest Hammers on view in a very youthful selection, while 16-year-old Spanish prospect Sergio Sanchez, a defender signed from Barcelona, has made the bench.
Hammers captain Bondz 'Gala and Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson will provide much-needed experience at centre-back in front of the 18-year-old goalkeeper Marek Stech. 'Gala and Stech have both figured in Zola's matchday 18 this season while the former will want to pay close to attention to Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who like 'Gala hails from Forest Gate. It was Emmanuel-Thomas' solitary strike that settled the recent Under-18 meeting between the clubs back on 21 February. Matthew Fry, Kearns, Lee, Anthony Edgar, Bajner and Abdulla all started that game.
Arsenal: James Shea, Craig Eastmond, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Francis Coquelin, Kyle Bartley, Luke Ayling, Mark Randall (captain), Emmanuel Frimpong, Gilles Sunu, Amaury Bischoff, Jack Wilshere
Subs: Rhys Murphy, Cedric Evina, Sanchez Watts
West Ham United: Marek Stech, Ashley Miller, Matthew Fry, Oliver Lee, Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, Bondz 'Gala (captain), Daniel Kearns, Georg Grasser, Balint Bajner, Ahmed Abdulla, Anthony Edgar
Subs: Peter Loveday, Sergio Sanchez, Callum McNaughton, Conor Okus, Christian Montano