Dev Squad 0-1 Fulham - FT

Full-time: A late flurry of chances go begging and the Hammers have lost. It was a spirited display against a team who continue their unbeaten season thanks to a Verde goal. The Hammers pressed for an equaliser late in the second half but couldn't find one and will have to move on to the next one. Full-time at Motspur Park, Fulham 1-0 West Ham.

90+1 mins: Nearly the equaliser! Right at the death Ruddock scuffs a shot from Mavila's cross. Lletget then finds himself with space outside the area and shoots but it's just over!

90 mins: Maguire wins a free-kick outside of the penalty area as two minutes are added on. Whitehead takes and Driver's there but he tries to set-up a teammate instead of shooting and Stockdale gathers. That was a big chance!

89 mins: Mavila is immediately into the action, whipping a ball across the face of goal but it's easy pickings for Stockdale.

87 mins: Double change for the Hammers, Moncur and Fanimo off. Mavila and Onariase on.

85 mins: Ruddock comes storming forward and crosses but it's over the head of Lee, who is the only West Ham player in the penalty area.

83 mins: A spell of possession for the visitors results in Lee hitting a low effort which forces Stockdale into action, parrying the ball away.

81 mins: Fulham make their final change with Hyndman replacing David. A big test in this final ten minutes to see if the Hammers can threaten the Fulham goal.

80 mins: A free-kick just outside the box is won by Maguire. It's on the right-hand side. Fanimo bends to the back post but it is easily defended.

79 mins: David receives the ball just in front of the Hammers back four. He looks up and only has one thought as he shoots for goal buts ends his effort well over.

77 mins: Spiegel beats away Zverotic's drive, Meanwhile, Evans is on for Bangna for the hosts.

75 mins: David drives from outside the box. It's well struck before taking a deflection and flying over.

74 mins: The Hammers have been unable to find their rhythm in the second period. Lee has ploughed a lone furrow up front with little return for his efforts.

72 mins: Mavila would seem to be the substitute of choice for Haycock with the winger stripped down to his kit by the dug-out.

69 mins: Williams is on for Verde as Fulham are the first to make a change in the second half.

66 mins: The West Ham substitutes are going through their warm-ups as Haycock considers his next move. The coach has a bench which includes the exciting U18 Nathan Mavila to call on.

64 mins: David lines up a long-range curler which clips the top of Spiegel's crossbar. The keeper looked to have it covered though.

63 mins: Faninmo needs to be careful as he goes sliding in on an opponent despite being on a booking. He doesn't win the ball but escapes a second card.

61 mins: Tankovic is denied again, this time by a sliding Ruddock on the six-yard box.

59 mins: Lee leads a counter-attack from a corner and feeds the on-rushing Moncur who wins a throw down by the corner flag. The throw-in is wasted however and ends up out of play for a goal kick.

57 mins: Tankovic misses another good chance. This time the striker is clean through on goal but can only fire straight at Spiegel. Will Fulham be made to rue those misses?

55 mins: Fanimo is in the action again as he beautifully side-steps an opponent before being clipped and winning the foul.

53 mins: Fanimo blazes a glorious chance over the crossbar after Lee feeds the ball into him.

50 mins: What a let-off that was the Hammers who can take comfort in the fact that they still require only one goal to level things up.

48 mins: Miss of the decade! Tankovic waits for the ground to swallow him up after he puts the ball over the bar from what has to be around two yards out.

47 mins: Richards runs in behind Driver and has the ball delivered to him. The full-back looks uncomfortable in such a forward position and squanders possession easily.

46 mins: We're off again. The Hammers need to find the cutting edge which has so far eluded them if they are to avoid a third defeat of 2014.

Half-time: The whistle goes for the end of the first half. An even match so far with the hosts edging ahead thanks to a huge slice of luck. Verde's shot hit two Hammers' defenders before wrong-footing Spiegel to give the hosts the lead. Not much in it, with all still to play for in the second half.

45+1 mins: Fanimo is the first player to receive a card after a lunge on Bangna brings out a yellow.

45 mins: Two minutes added on at the end of a competitive first half.

44 mins: Moncur tries to catch Stockdale off guard as the keeper lines up a wall. The effort is well hit but just sails onto the roof of the net.

42 mins: Tankovic dribbles the ball in from the right before unleashing a rasping effort which clatters into the netting behind the goal.

40 mins: A real kick in the teeth that goal. The Hammers were enjoying their best spell of the match. Need a response now.

37 mins Goal: Verde claims the goal but it will have to go down as an own-goal as Ruddock's efforts to block the shot result in the ball rolling past Spiegel. So unlucky!

35 mins: Moncur works space on the right-hand side before shooting low. The ball is towards the bottom corner but Stockdale has it covered easily enough.  

34 mins: Fanimo does brilliantly before standing a cross up to the back post where only excellent defending denies Lee.

31 mins: Tankovic has his head in his hands and as well he might! The striker should score from four yards out but instead fires straight at Spiegel.

30 mins: Great defending by Ruddock! The defender is in the right place to deny David a certain goal as the forward closes in on a rebound from Bangna's shot.

29 mins: Lee has a crack now. Unleashing a free-kick which dips just over the crossbar.

27 mins: Close! Shaw picks the ball up on the left after Stockdale's poor clearance. The left-back hits a superb low drive but the keeper redeems himself with a super save. That's more like it from the Hammers.

26 mins: Spiegel is called on to make his first save as the stopper gathers easily from David's volleyed effort.

25 mins: Lletget fires a cross into the middle from the right where Lee is waiting. The ball is on him too quickly however and his header is off-target.

24 mins: Moncur takes and Lee attempts a bicycle kick which strikes the defender and goes just wide. Cracking effort! The corner is easily cleared however.

23 mins: Potts gallops out of defence and beats a man before his run is unfairly stopped.

22 mins: After a bright opening the visitors are yet to really find their feet and are increasingly being penned into their own half as their hosts dominate possession.

20 mins: A sweeping cross field ball finds Bangna who slides in Zverotic down the right and the full-back cuts inside before firing well over the bar.

18 mins: Maguire finishes his warm-up and comes on to replace Gordon.

16 mins: Gordon is down in the middle of the park and requires the physio on. It doesn't look good and the winger will need to be substituted.

14 mins: An escape for the Hammers after David snubs the chance to shoot and is crowded out after being played through one-on-one with Potts.

12 mins: Gordon bursts forward and dribbles with the ball before sliding in Lee, only to see the flag raised.

11 mins: Fulham attack with purpose down the Hammers right and Verde has a crack from inside the box. Fortunately for the visitors Lletget is in the way.

9 mins: The home side are looking to keep the ball amongst their back four with the occasionally foray forward ending in over-hit passes so far.

7 mins: Driver whips a ball in towards the box from deep on the right-hand side. He looks for Lee but the frontman is offside.

5 mins: David has the first effort at goal as he strikes a free-kick over the wall and wide of Spiegel's post.

4 mins: Vital tackle from Potts as Bangna sneaks up behind him. The defender just spots the danger and makes a sliding tackle to deny the winger.

2 mins: A bright start from the Hammers with Lee looking to work a shooting opportunity after cutting in from the left before the space closes and the ball is deflected away.

Kick-off: The away side get us under-way at an eerily quiet Motspur Park.

6:58pm: The teams are out of the very scenic clubhouse here at Motspur Park as they prepare to get underway in this top of the table clash.

6:50pm: We're now just ten minutes away from kick-off in west London as the Hammers look to record a first win of 2014. It'll take some doing against an unbeaten Fulham side but upsetting the odds is exactly what the young Hammers have done on a number of occasions this season.

6:45pm: News of Fulham's line-up has reached me. David Stockdale is a surprise inclusion for the hosts with the stopper featuring for the first team as recently as nine days ago in a 4-1 defeat to Sunderland. Full details can be found at the bottom of the page.

6:35pm: The Hammers are well into their warm-ups as they sport their light blue shorts and socks, but we still expect them to be donning the famous Claret and Blue shirts instead of the white away tops by the time the match kicks off.

6:15pm: New goalkeeping coach Lee Harrison is out to put Raphael Spiegel and Vit Nemrava through their paces before the rest of the team emerge to begin their pre-match warm-up. Both sides have relied on solid defensive units this season with the Hammers having conceded 17 from their eleven matches whilst tonight's hosts have let in just 15 from the same amount of matches.

6:00pm: The floodlights blink into life at Motspur Park with just an hour until kick-off between two of the top sides in the Barclays U21 Premier League.

Good evening and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of the Development Squad's latest encounter. Tonight the Under-21s travel across London to play Fulham at Motspur Park as they look for a first win of 2014 having exited the U21 Premier League Cup to Chelsea and lost out to West Bromwich Albion in their last Barclays U21 Premier League match. Tonight's match is a top of the table clash with both sides enjoying a strong first half to the season which has seen Fulham lead the way having not lost a match as yet. The Hammers will be hoping they're the team to inflict that first blemish on the Cottagers record as three points tonight will take them to within two of their hosts at the summit.

The Development Squad's chances of victory will be aided by the return to action of defender Pelly Ruddock who returns to the starting XI having undertaken a loan spell at Luton Town recently. Also returning in defence is Dan Potts who appears for the first time since a month long loan deal with Sky Bet League One side Portsmouth. Elsewhere, there is a second U21 start for Jaanai Gordon who signed on a permanent deal from Peterborough United earlier in January whilst Raphael Spiegel continues his return from a hand injury in goal.

West Ham United: Spiegel, Driver, Shaw, Lletget, Potts, Ruddock, Gordon, Moncur, Lee, Whitehead, Fanimo
Subs: Nemrava, Maguire, Miles, Onariase, Mavila

Fulham: Stockdale, Zverotic, Richards, Pritchard, Buatu, Donnelly, Bangna, Christensen, Tankovic, David, Verde
Subs: Norman, Williams, Banya, Evans, Hyndman