WEST HAM UNITED U18s v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR U18s
FA YOUTH CUP FOURTH ROUND
TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM
REFEREE: PAUL HARRIS
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Final score - West Ham United U18s 2-5 Tottenham Hotspur U18s
95 mins - That's the final whistle. West Ham have given their all but the early 3-0 deficit proved too much to overcome. The Hammers tried their hardest to get back into the game and, at 3-2, they had a chance to make Spurs sweat. However, I think it would be fair to say that the best team won on the night. Thanks for joining us - we'll have highlights and post-match reaction on whufc.com and West Ham TV soon. Don't forget, we'll be live at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow night for the Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal. Until then, goodnight!
94 mins - A couple of final shows of defiance from the home side. First, Sadlier blazes high and over the top, then Gogo pulls a cross into the hands of McGee.
92 mins - Big thanks to Moose and Dylan Tombides for their outstanding commentary on West Ham TV. We've had it on here in the Press Box and Dylan is a real natural. For a teenager, his assessment and analysis is on a par with Gary Neville!
91 mins - Four added minutes will be played. Sadlier gives the ball away and Coulthirst has Alexander isolated one-on-one. He drops his shoulder and shoots straight at Guzman, who holds on.
90 mins - Into the final minute and Spurs have another chance, but Guzman is there to collect low by his post when a deflection takes the sting out of the shot.
86 mins - Tottenham nearly score from a West Ham free-kick. A pass is cut out and Coulthirst holds off Alexander and is through on goal. He is odds-on to make it six, but Guzman makes a fine save as the striker tries to go round him.
85 mins - Spurs make the final change of the night as Dombaxe is replaced by Filip Lesniak.
84 mins - GOAL! Spurs make the game safe as Harney is caught in possession. Coulthirst beats his man and shoots. Guzman makes the save but can only push the ball into the path of McEvoy, who bundles it in from about three yards.
82 mins - Gogo is involved straight away, winning a free-kick after Alexander's cross had been blocked high into the air. McGee is there to punch Bywater's free-kick away.
81 mins - Michael-Percil is replaced by Daniel Akindayini for the final ten minutes or so. West Ham also make a change, with Mavila making way for Thomas Gogo.
80 mins - West Ham haven't given up. Sadlier and Lee combine before the latter finds Shaw in space wide on the left. He crosses low and McQueen clears at the near post with ease.
77 mins - Nasha appears to have hurt himself. He is now limping off and will be replaced by Ben Marlow.
74 mins - GOAL! Ward has a go from about 25 yards and it looks as if the ball is going to go over the crossbar. Guzman elects to leave it and it dips into the top corner. Head in hands from the goalkeeper.
73 mins - West Ham concede a corner as Shaw slides in to challenge Michael-Percil. However, the Hammers stand firm and clear.
70 mins - Better again. West Ham get down the left again and Shaw wins a corner. Before it can be taken, Miles is replaced by Onariase - he is a schoolboy but is at least 6'0 tall. I would suspect Nasha will go into midfield. Before he does, the corner is cleared to him and his deflected shot is caught by McGee.
69 mins - West Ham put together a neat attack that sees them work a two on one opening down the left. Shaw crosses and McGee comes and flaps. Lee retrieves and finds Miles, but his low shot is blocked.
68 mins - Spurs have weathered the storm for now and No11 McEvoy thumps a shot into the midriff of Guzman from 25 yards. Spurs win the ball back again quickly and win a corner off Alexander. Guzman comes for it and is fouled.
64 mins - Tottenham win a corner off Alexander after Harney loses possession. Thankfully, it is taken short to Dombaxe and his shot is held well by Guzman, despite a low bounce.
62 mins - Mavila makes an interception and he has the pace to take on the Spurs defence. He does, but instead of crossing for Lee, he shoots high and McGee catches at the near post.
61 mins - Tonight's attendance is 1,189. Not bad on such a cold evening. They are being properly entertained, too. Can West Ham complete an amazing comeback?
59 mins - Two miraculous escapes for the Hammers a first a goalline clearance and then a save from Guzman prevent the visitors from reinstating their two-goal advantage. Coulthirst is the man denied on both occasions.
57 mins - GOAL! West Ham are back in it! Lee doesn't give up on a lost cause and wins the ball back. It breaks off a defender to Mavila who gets to the byline and pokes it back for Lee. He picks out the unmarked Bywater at the far post and he heads in!
57 mins - Bywater drives forward down the inside left channel before letting fly from 22 yards. McGee does well to claw the ball aside for a corner. Good save. The corner is flicked on by a Spurs defender before being cleared on the near side. Another West Ham goal makes this VERY interesting indeed.
55 mins - Left-back Ward has taken two crosses in the tender region in recent minutes. This time the ball hits him and goes behind from Alexander's cross. The corner is deep from Mavila and is cleared by Dombaxe.
52 mins - Sadlier gets forward and collects the pass down the right-hand side. His cross is aimed towards Lee but hits a defender and flies behind for a corner. Mavila takes left-footed but it is easily headed clear. Mavila is then caught offside from the return pass.
51 mins - Spurs make a change, with Harry Winks coming on for Josh Onomah.
49 mins - This time Tottenham win a corner. Guzman comes and half-clears with his punch. The ball drops out of the box and Dombaxe collects. He drops his shoulder before driving a shot over the top.
48 mins - Spurs left-back Ward has a go from long-range but it dribbles into the arms of Guzman.
46 mins - We're back off and running again...
Half-time score - West Ham United U18s 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur U18s
46 mins - An interception sees Cullen find Sadlier, but he is forced a bit wide left and can only cross into the arms of McGee. Moments later, the half-time whistle is blown.
45 mins - Into the final minute of the 45 and we should have at least two added minutes due to the four goals, but we shall see. Lee runs forward from a short free-kick but his pass for Sadlier is too strong. We'll have ONE added minute.
40 mins - Spurs have a free-kick just outside the left corner of the West Ham box. Dombaxe curls the cross over and Guzman helps it behind for a corner above his head. Spurs work it short and then across the box before Alexander blocks the cross behind for another corner, which Coulthirst heads a few yards wide.
37 mins - GOAL! Game on? Alexander wins a challenge inside his own half and the Spurs centre-back is ponderous in possession. Lee nips in quickly and streaks away. He shows good pace and, even though he looks to have pushed the ball slightly wide right, he drives a superb low finish across McGee and into the far corner.
34 mins - Sadlier dribbles into the box and goes down. The referee thinks about it but gives nothing. The ball drops out to Lee but he slashes the bouncing ball high and wide of the target.
33 mins - The game has evened out in terms of possession and territory, but West Ham are struggling to create much by way of goalscoring chances.
29 mins - A couple of crosses come into the box but they elude Mavila and then Lee. Finally, Cullen drives a low ball in but it's too close to McGee, who collects.
25 mins - West Ham just need to regain their composure. It goes without saying that a fourth Spurs goal would end this game as a contest. At 3-0 down, there is still a glimmer of hope.
23 mins - GOAL! I don't know what to say about that. McGee's clearance is allowed to find McEvoy and the No11 is clean through on goal. He takes a touch and slides a routine finish past Guzman. West Ham have a mountain to climb and we're only a quarter of the way through.
22 mins - An enterprising run from Cheye Alexander gives West Ham a bit of energy. He then sweeps the ball across to Sadlier, who finds Shaw. The left-back wins a corner, but McGee catches the delivery. He launches the ball upfield...
20 mins - Half a chance for Lee, who meets Shaw's cross with his head. He was leaning away from goal and cannot get the pace on the header, which is blocked and cleared. Spurs come forward again and McEvoy crosses again. Nasha is caught under the ball and Coulthirst spins and hooks the ball wide on the volley. That would have been some goal.
17 mins - GOAL! This is too easy for Spurs. A through ball from Bentaleb finds Michael-Percil in acres of space. He takes a touch and crosses at knee height for Coulthirst, who diverts the first-time finish past Guzman. The goalkeeper had no chance.
16 mins - Better from the Hammers as Lee forces a corner off Veljkovic. The centre-backs come forward. The goalkeeper McGee punches clear and Spurs counter-attack. This time the Hammers deal with the low cross from Michael-Percil.
13 mins - West Ham attack. Sadlier finds Mavila, but his cross is high and goes behind for a goal kick. It is not long before Shaw comes forward again and crosses for Cullen, whose shot from 25 yards is held by McGee.
11 mins - GOAL! Spurs take the lead. McEvoy burst past Alexander and crossed low across the face of goal. Guzman could not reach it and it appears that Shaw has the final touch ahead of Michael-Percil. I think that was an own-goal.
9 mins - Shaw pokes the ball away from Michael-Percil for a corner. It's taken short and worked to Dombaxe. He shoots from the left corner of the penalty area and the ball flies high and over the top. West Ham need to have some possession.
8 mins - Spurs have started the brighter. Dombaxe tries his luck from 35 yards and Guzman shows good hands to clutch the bouncing ball to his chest.
7 mins - Nasha this time with some assured defending. Coulthirst had a yard or two of space inside the penalty area but the centre-back was lightning quick to close it down and stab the ball away.
5 mins - Lee collects a pass from Mavila just outside the left edge of the penalty area. He takes a touch and makes space for a shot, which is blocked. Spurs counter and McEvoy runs down the left again but his cross is wayward and flies behind the goal.
4 mins - No7 Michael-Percil takes on Shaw and crosses. The ball curls just over the bar and lands on the roof of the net.
3 mins - First alarm for the Hammers. Jamie Harney's backpass is a little short and Gines 'Jimmy' Guzman is out quickly from his goal to bash the ball clear. Spurs attack down the left again and Harney is more assured this time with a sliding challenge to concede a throw.
2 mins - There is a murmur of expectation in the Alpari Stand, with friends, family, coaching staff members and first-team players all here to cheer on the club's promising youngsters.
7pm - Mr Harris blows his whistle and we're underway! Spurs kick-off and the ball is punted straight out of play on the far side. There is a blustery wind blowing across the stadium tonight.
6.58pm - The two captains Elliot Lee and Nabil Bentaleb meet for the coin toss with referee Paul Harris. The visitors will kick-off shooting towards the Bobby Moore Stand end.
6.55pm - If you want to listen to tonight's game, rather than read about it, there is live audio coverage on West Ham TV, with commentary provided by Ian 'Moose' Abrahams and guest summariser Dylan Tombides! The teams are now entering the pitch, so we're nearly ready for kick-off on a bitterly cold night in east London.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for tonight's FA Youth Cup fourth-round tie between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One Stage rivals will square-off for the right to host Bolton Wanderers in the last-16, with Steve Potts' side knowing they have already got the better of Spurs once this year. The Hammers scored a 1-0 league victory over their visitors on 12 January in their only previous fixture played in 2013, with Ben Marlow scoring the winner.
Elliot Lee, who made his first-team debut in last week's FA Cup third-round replay at Manchester United last Wednesday, will skipper the Hammers.
Both clubs are seeking their fourth Youth Cup title, with West Ham lifting the trophy in 1963, 1981 and 1999. Tottenham won their most-recent trophy in 1999.
West Ham United U18s: Guzman, Alexander, Shaw, Harney, Nasha, Miles, Cullen, Bywater, Sadlier, Mavila, Lee
Subs: Brown, Onariase, Marlow, Page, Gogo
Tottenham Hotspur U18s: McGee, McQueen, Ward, Veljkovic, Ogilvie, Dombaxe, Michael-Percil, Bentaleb, Coulthirst, Onomah, McEvoy
Subs: Priestley, Ball, Lesniak, Winks, Akindayini