WEST HAM UNITED U18s v BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION U18s
FA YOUTH CUP FOURTH ROUND
WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY 2012
KICK-OFF: 7PM
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Final score - West Ham United U18s 4-1 Brighton and Hove Albion U18s
95 mins - The game is over. To see an exclusive gallery of images from tonight's tie, click here. Dont' forget, the game will be played in its entirety as-live on West Ham TV from 6.30pm on Thursday. The station will also have exclusive post-match reaction from staff and players.
91 mins - Into the first of four added minutes...
89 mins - So close to No5! Hall cuts inside and crosses low to Lee. He swivels and powers a shot that flies past Wray and hits the inside of both posts before Vickers clears behind. The corner is worked short and a shot flies in that the goalkeeper deals with well.
87 mins - Chambers buccaneers forwards before beating two defenders and poking the ball to Young. He keeps the ball in and crosses. The ball bounces along the top of the crossbar and behind.
86 mins - Miles is replaced by Hurley.
82 mins - Captain Potts comes off to a rousing reception to be replaced by Frazer Shaw. Turgott takes over as skipper for the final few minutes.
79 mins - Fanimo took a knock shooting there and is replaced by Vose. He gets a decent round of applause as he goes off.
78 mins - GOAL! Fanimo gets his goal, and it's a cracker. Kenzer Lee stops a Brighton counter before Chambers beats a player and finds Turgott. He bursts forward and beats a man before sliding the ball left to Fanimo. He looks up and blasts a low drive past Wray from 20 yards. Unstoppable.
77 mins - Hall has taken a knock but play goes on. Turgott feeds Young and he sends over a fine cross that is headed behind for a corner. Dominic Vose will be on shortly.
76 mins - The Hammers are back on top. Fanimo gets past Rea and shoots, but his effort flashes across the face of goal and out for a throw. He has put himself about tonight, has Fanimo, both defensively and going forward.
75 mins - He is so good at that, is Hall. He gets into the box and checks on to his left foot. He shoots low but Wray makes the save. Brighton smuggle the ball clear before Young can pounce on the rebound.
74 mins - Don't forget, you have until 20 January to purchase your West Ham United merchandise from the Official Online Store. To start shopping, click here.
71 mins - George Cousins replaces Levy. That's Brighton's final change. Will the Hammers make any substitutions in the closing stages?
70 mins - GOAL! Cumming-Bart has been Brighton's best player and he strokes the ball home from the penalty spot after Vickers was fouled inside the West Ham box. Game back on? I doubt it, but you never know.
66 mins - Elliot Lee does well to hold up play before finding Turgott. He plays to Young, who wins a corner. The ball drops to Turgott, who appears to be pushed in the back. It could be another penalty. Instead, the referee plays on and Potts volleys over the top.
65 mins - Brighton are a little bit frustrated and captain Vickers goes into the book. Yellow card for the Brighton No4 for a late challenge on halfway.
63 mins - GOAL! That must be that. Wray goes the right way but Hall has too much power in his shot. Brighton make an immediate change, with No12 Ben Gray coming on for Tuck.
62 mins - Penalty to West Ham! Elliot Lee bursts between two defenders and pokes the ball through before going down. It was Rea who conceded the foul.
60 mins - Brighton have a free-kick about 35 yards out to the left of Larkins' goal. Barry takes, but his team-mates are offside in the middle.
58 mins - Cumming-Bart beats Young initially but the right-back gets in strongly to prod the ball away. Chambers comes in with a second challenge and the ball thuds off the winger and goes behind for a goal kick. Applause from the home fans.
55 mins - West Ham are back in the ascendancy. Hall is fouled. He and Powell stand over the free-kick 30 yards out before Powell strikes a dipping shot that clears the bar by a distance.
52 mins - Chance. Turgott wins a corner following a strong run. Fanimo takes it left-footed and the ball is flicked on before Elliot Lee heads over from close range.
49 mins - No real chances so far since the break. Brighton are trying to pass their way back into the game. However, another loose one finds Hall and he feeds Fanimo. The winger races on to the ball but he blazes his shot over the top.
46 mins - Brighton kick-off. They have a mountain to climb to even force extra-time. They have looked a bit nervous. Maybe the half-time team talk will have done them some good. As for West Ham, it's a case of same again.
Half-time score - West Ham United U18s 2-0 Brighton and Hove Albion U18s
47 mins - That's half-time. West Ham are comfortable and should advance if they maintain this level of performance. Very good so far, capped by two fine goals.
46 mins - Into the first added minute and Larkins comes out and makes a commanding catch.
43 mins - The Hammers could be out of sight here. Kenzer Lee's long pass is headed by Elliot into the path of Fanimo. He runs at Vickers and cuts on to his right foot but screws wide from 20 yards. A pass to Turgott might have been the better option.
41 mins - Wray was at school today and he'll wish he was still in the classroom after that. He passes the ball straight to Turgott. He runs forward and finds Hall, whose first-time shot is tipped over by the goalkeeper. The corner is cleared.
39 mins - GOAL! Brilliant goal. Turgott plays the ball inside for Elliot Lee, who instantly flicks the ball into the path of Hall. He takes one touch and hammers a low shot that Wray cannot keep out. The ball nestles in the bottom corner and Hall wheels away and lifts his shirt to show a 'Get well soon' message for Dylan Tombides.
38 mins - Another half-chance for Brighton as Cumming-Bart crosses and Goodwin gets above Chambers. He wins the header, but it loops harmlessly over the crossbar.
37 mins - If you are an Academy member and want to come to the home npower Championship fixture against Millwall on 4 January, tickets are on sale now. To order yours, call 0871 2222700 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras) or click here.
35 mins - Brighton finally have some possession inside the West Ham half. Young heads Cumming-Bart's initial cross clear but the ball drops to Tuck. He has a touch and shoots from 18 yards. It goes wide, but not by much.
34 mins - Cooper is replaced by No15 Dylan Lall. I'm not sure if that is tactical or the centre-back was injured.
32 mins - Wray's night gets a bit worse as he slides out and handles the ball outside his box. Free-kick, but no card for the youngster. Powell takes the free-kick and Lee's shot hits Potts. It might have gone in otherwise.
30 mins - The Seagulls' best tactic might be to go more direct and try to win some free-kicks, corners and throws in the West Ham half. Any attempt to play through the hosts is not bearing any fruit whatsoever.
27 mins - Brighton just have not learnt. Vickers passes straight to Lee and he is in. He bursts past two defenders and shoots powerfully, but it's too close to Wray, who makes the save.
24 mins - Fanimo slides in on Rea this time and wins the ball cleanly. He crosses low and Turgott gets in front of his marker, but his effort is easy for Wray. Moments later, Rea goes in hard on Fanimo and concedes a foul.
21 mins - Hall robs Cooper and gets to the byline. He crosses for Lee, who drags his first-time left-foot shot wide of the post. Good chance. Lee will be disappointed to have missed the target there.
20 mins - This is one-way traffic. Potts crosses and the ball is headed clear to Fanimo. Hall picks up possession and hammers a low shot a yard or two wide from the edge of the box. If West Ham keep this up, the tie could be over by half-time.
18 mins - Close to No2 and, perhaps, game over. Hall runs down the right and feeds Lee. He has Fanimo in acres to his left and plays the left winger in. His first touch is a little bit loose and his shot hits Wray's legs. The ball bounces back to the winger and he finds Hall. Lee then finds Turgott, whose shot bounces wide of the far post.
16 mins - GOAL! That goal looked on as soon as the goalkeeper lined up his wall. Lee stepped up and curled his shot over the wall and inside the left-hand post. Wray had no chance. That's his 14th goal of the season on his 19th appearance.
15 mins - More messing about at the back from Brighton and Wray's clearance is straight to Powell. He heads down to Hall, who is taken out by Cooper on the edge of the box. Elliot Lee fancies this one...
14 mins - A second corner for Brighton as left-back Rea overlaps and Young slides in. Powell heads clear at the near post and MacFarlane volleys well wide. No alarms yet for birthday boy Larkins.
12 mins - Brighton are taking chances at the back. A header to Wray forces the goalkeeper outside his penalty area and Powell half-charges the kick down. It drops to MacFarlane, who is instantly challenged by Fanimo.
11 mins - Taylor Miles fouls Barry inside the West Ham half. The free-kick is taken shot and nearly turns into a disaster as Elliot Lee nearly cuts out a square pass. Seconds later, another wayward pass puts Hall away. He tries to play in Powell to his left, but the pass is cut out.
9 mins - Nick Haycock is out on the edge of his technical area shouting instructions. He will have been pleased with the start, but not with Turgott's long-range shot that bounces a long way side of the target.
7 mins - Brighton win the first corner as Cumming-Bart runs at Potts. The full-back thinks that should have been a goal kick. Barry rolls the corner deep to Levy, but his cross-shot flies wide. Goal kick.
5 mins - A first bit of work defensively for Kenzer Lee and he does well, beating Goodwin to the ball and hooking inside for Powell to prevent a throw.
4 mins - Aside from a couple of hurried clearances, Brighton have hardly had a kick so far. The Hammers back four have all had a touch now, as has Larkins the goalkeeper. West Ham settling down nicely. Lee holds off his defender from Fanimo's inside pass, but his ball for Potts is too strong and goes out for a throw.
2 mins - Really bright start from the Hammers as Powell's header finds Hall. He spins away from his marker and is fouled 30 yards out. Hall himself takes the free-kick left-footed and curls the ball just wide of the post. Goalkeeper Wray was struggling to keep that out if it was on target.
1 min - West Ham attack from the off and the ball is worked wide left to Fanimo. He crosses, but gets it wrong and the ball flies into the claret seats behind.
7.01pm - West Ham will kick-off, shooting towards the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. Incidentally, Sir Trevor Brooking is here watching tonight's game.
6.59pm - Captain's Dan Potts and Tom Vickers shake hands, as do their team-mates, and we're nearly ready to go. First, the Hammers and Seagulls are both going to have a huddle.
6.58pm - The atmosphere is building nicely. There are certainly a few hundred supporters in the Alpari Stand Lower for this evening's game. The substitutes are taking their seats in the dugout and the two teams emerge from the tunnel...
6.45pm - Tonight's game will be a keenly-contested and entertaining affair, as these FA Youth Cup ties always are. If you want to see the action for yourself, the game will be replayed as-live on West Ham TV from 6.30pm on Thursday evening. Back to tonight and Joint Chairman David Gold has been down to wish the squad the best, as has Dylan Tombides. Both received a warm welcome and will no doubt have spurred the team on.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for this evening's FA Youth Cup fourth-round meeting between West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion. The Hammers continue their quest for a fourth FA Youth Cup triumph by taking on Football League Youth Alliance South East Conference side Brighton for a place in the last-16.
Both sides will be full of confidence going into the tie, having scored victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa respectively in the third round. West Ham followed up that result by winning 3-2 at Chelsea in the FA Premier Academy League on Saturday, while the Seagulls have not played a competitive fixture since their 1-0 win over Villa on 13 December.
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE and U18s coach Nick Haycock put the squad through their paces on the Boleyn Ground pitch on Tuesday to help the youngsters acclimatise with their unfamiliar surroundings. The pair have a near full-strength squad to pick from, including first-team players Dan Potts and Rob Hall, with only striker Dylan Tombides (illness), winger Dymon Labonne (knee) and defender Declan Hunt (knee) unavailable for selection.
However, Potts and Hall will be joined in the starting XI by third-round heroes Elliot and Kenzer Lee, as well as England U19 wingers Blair Turgott and Matthias Fanimo and England U18 defender Leo Chambers.
WATCH A MATTHIAS FANIMO AND KENZER LEE FACEBOOK EXCLUSIVE
Today also marks goalkeeper Jake Larkins' 18th birthday. The big stopper has impressed manager Sam Allardyce in training in recent weeks and will be eager to impress again in front of the first-team coaching staff and players - James Tomkins, Mark Noble, Jack Collison and captain Kevin Nolan are all set to watch tonight's game from the Alpari Stand.Brighton will be without Southend-on-Sea-born England U18 international midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey, who scored the Seagulls' goal in their FA Cup with Budweiser 1-1 draw with Wrexham at the weekend. Forster-Caskey is the son of former Brighton striker and West Ham fan Nicky Forster.
For those who could not make it down to the stadium this evening to watch the match live, a full as-live recording will be aired on West Ham TV from 6.30pm on Thursday evening. If you sign-up now, your first month of access is just £1.99! To log in or subscribe, click on the link below.
West Ham United U18s: Larkins, Young, Potts, K.Lee, Chambers, Turgott, Miles, Powell, Fanimo, Hall, E.Lee
Subs: Wootton, Shaw, Hurley, Sadlier, Vose
Brighton and Hove Albion U18s: Wray, MacFarlane, Rea, Vickers, Cooper, Barry, Cumming-Bart, Peake, Goodwin, Tuck, Levy
Subs: Colquhoun, Gray, Cousins, Lall, Benham
