West Ham United made a superb start to the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens in Hong Kong on Saturday.
Drawn in Group C with Scottish side Rangers and local teams Tuen Mun and a HKFC Captain's Select, the Hammers were quickly into their stride. Alex Dyer's team were 4-0 winners in their first game against Tuen Mun before following that up with a 3-0 success against HKFC Captain's Select. They were beaten 2-0 in the last match against Rangers but had done enough to progress.
Cristian Montano scored twice in the opening game, with Olly Lee also on target along with local talent Luca Maoni, who had replaced calf-injury victim Anthony Edgar in the Hammers squad. It was a high-tempo game despite the humidity, with Montano too hot to handle in attack and Jordan Spence imperious at the back. Maoni had started on the bench.
The Hammers carried on that form in the second game with Lee setting up Eoin Wearen to score the opener. Montano then showed his selfless side with an assist for Spence to strike a second before the defender - who made his first-team debut a week ago - added a tremendous third with a breakaway run. Nicky Barrett went close to a fourth but was denied.
The two wins at the home of Hong Kong Football Club set up a decisive third game with Rangers later in the day to see who would top the group. The Scottish side won 2-0 but the Hammers were able to progress to the main Cup competition on Sunday where they will meet Birmingham City. Other teams taking part include Celtic, Ajax, Aston Villa and Sunderland.
Dyer's squad consists of three professionals - Spence, Lee and Edgar - and seven second-year scholars. Sam Cowler is the only goalkeeper, with defenders Jordan Brown and Callum McNaughton, midfielders Wearen and Barrett and forwards Ahmed Abdulla and Montano also travelling.
The Hammers finished as runners-up in the Shield competition at the same seven-a-side tournament last May, and lost in the quarter-finals of the tournament-proper in 2008.