FT - Fulham U21 1-1 Dev Squad

FULHAM U21 v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
BARCLAYS U21 PREMIER LEAGUE
MOTSPUR PARK
FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2014
KICK-OFF: 7PM
REFEREE: MR. A LAVER
 

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FT: Fulham 1-1 Development Squad 

90+2:
Last gasp chance for Fulham. The cross falls to the winger who should have scored but hits it straight at Spiegel.

90: Two minutes of additional time to be played.

89: There are some tired legs on the pitch now. West Ham have a free kick 30 yards out but elect to play it short. Nasha gets a cross in but it is hacked away. Anywhere will do at this stage of the game.

87: Reece Oxford fouls his man on the halfway line to stop a certain break away. He somehow escapes a booking, and West Ham have the ball back.

85: Fulham trying to slow the pace of the game down. Looks like they would settle for a draw tonight.

82: Morrison jinks his way into the box, beating two men but a third blocks his shot. From the resulting corner Lee attempts an audacious backheel which the 'keeper pounces on at the second attempt.

80: Lee gets behind the defence with Lletget and Morrison in the centre to find. His ball into the box is just too close to the 'keeper who collects gladly.

78: Approaching the last ten minutes for either side to steal a winner. West Ham have been much the stronger team in the second half.  

75:
Fulham appeal for a penalty but it is rightly not given. Whitehead put in a strong but fair challenge, winning the ball cleanly.

71: The full-backs have clearly been given licence to venture forward. Lewis Page is proving to be a thorn in Fulham's side. Reece Oxford is also roaming forward. The centre-back almost scores from a header at the back post.

69: Danny Whitehead is really having a good game at the heart of midfield. Working tirelessly when the Hammers don't have the ball and always building attacks when he's in possession.

67: The game is really opening up here. West Ham are putting the pressure on the Fulham back four yet the hosts look dangerous on the counter.

66: Free-kick to Fulham but the ball is fired in too hard and out of play for a goal-kick.

64: Superb move by West Ham. Whitehead sprays a brilliant 50-yard ball to Nasha whose control is spot on. Bywater's cross just too high for Lee.

62: Morrison steps us but gets it horribly wrong. The ball flies high over the bar from a 'David Beckham territory' free-kick.

60: Free-kick for West Ham in a dangerous position. Whitehead was clipped as he wound up for a shot. Lee and Morrison standing over it...

57: What a start we've had to this second half. Both teams going for it, finding the gaps that eluded them in the first half.

54: GOAL. Excellent response from the Hammers! Elliot Lee reacts quickest to get to Lletget's cross from the left to slot home his first goal of the season. 1-1.

52: Goal. Not the start Nick Haycock would have had in mind. Fulham break down the left and Trotta heads home. 1-0.

51: Morrison pulls of a lovely backheel that sets Lletget through into the box. His through ball is just too much for Page who had a made a good run.

49: Fulham left-back Jordan Evans bursts forward and hits a strong shot yet Spiegel reads it and allows it to go out for a goal-kick.

48: West Ham have started brightly as Nasha gets behind his man but his cross is collected by the 'keeper.

46: The referee blows his whistle and we're back under way. 0-0.  

HT: The Hammers are first back onto the pitch as we await the restart.  

45+3: Lee runs on to a measure pass by Morrison but the angle is tight and the Fulham goalkeeper Rodak saves.

45+2: Fulham almost pinch a lead just before the break. Good work by Knoyle as his tackle goes out for a corner. Spiegel collects the resulting corner.

45: Three minutes of injury time to be played here at the end of the first half.

41: Corner to Fulham as they break down the left. Haycock urging his men to organise quickly. The tall centre-back Arthurworrey gets his head to it but out for another corner.

38: Both teams continuing to work hard with very little end product. Both teams defending resolutely and staying compact.

35: Bangna is encouraged to shoot on the edge of the box, but his effort is deflected by Burke and Spiegel collects calmly.

33: Good constructed move down the left wing by Lee, Page and Lletget, just missing the final ball into the box, but excellent work.

31: Good chance for Fulham as Arthurworrey's long ball catches the defence out, Bangna is through but his first touch lets him down. A let off for the Hammers.  

29:
West Ham had a good opportunity to break however Lee's lay off is a fraction behind Morrison and the move breaks down.

28: Fulham are building the pressure. West Ham are finding it hard to get out of their own half. Reece Burke puts in a firm clearance to relieve the pressure.

26: Both teams resorting to playing longer balls with little success so far.

23: Fulham appeal for a penalty - not given - as they break away from a West Ham corner. Oxford steps in to intercept the ball calmly.  

20:
Superb defending by Lewis Page who turns a whipped cross behind for a corner. His intervention stopped a certain goal as the Fulham striker couldn't have missed from two yards out.

19: Play has now resumed after a five minute pause.

16: It doesn't look good for Cullen as both sets of physios are helping him out. The stretcher is on, Cullen is brought off with a suspected ankle injury. Amos Nasha is on for the No8.

14: Some heavy tackles flying in here! Josh Cullen commits himself 100% into a tackle - which he wins - but leaves him in a heap, he's receiving treatment with Amos Nasha warming up.

12: Freddy Plumain is replaced by Dean O'Halloran. The striker was looking dangerously quick but he pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury.

10: Excellent tackle by Reece Oxford, last ditch stuff from the youngster, saving an almost certain goal.

9: Fulham beginning to settle on the ball, however the West Ham midfield are working tirelessly to win it back. Excellent pressing from Josh Cullen, Danny Whitehead and Bywater.

7: After a frantic start the game has calmed down a bit. Both teams are looking to get the ball down and play it through midfield.  

5:
Second West Ham corner of the game already. Lletget gets his head to it, but it goes just over the crossbar. The American is appealing for another corner but nothing doing.

4: Fulham respond well, as they go down the left-wing twice. On the second attack the Fulham winger De La Verde shoots just wide.

2: Good start from the Claret and Blues, Lee's shot is blocked by the Fulham defender from the edge of the box. Vital block as the goalkeeper would have been in trouble.

1: West Ham win a corner early on, after good work by Kyle Knoyle. Kieran Bywater's corner is headed away.

Tonight's referee Mr A. Laver leads both teams out onto the pitch, pre-match handshakes have been conducted and we're ready! Elliot Lee gets us under way.

Ten minutes till KO. The players are back in the dressing room for their final preparations. Fans, scouts and groundsmen are all ready. The sun has just dipped behind the trees and the floodlights are on.

Just over half an hour till kick-off on a glorious summer evening here at Motspur Park, both sets of players are out warming up. The pitch looks in perfect condition, ideal for a London derby!

Tonight's starting XI see's Nick Haycock make three changes to the one that played against Liverpool last Friday. In come Kyle Knoyle, Lewis Page and Ravel Morrison for Sam Westley, Dan Potts and Kieran Sadlier.

Fulham: Rodak (GK), Passley, Evans, Sambou, Arthurworrey, Grimmer, Bangna, Verde, Trotta, Plumain, Richards.
Subs: Norman (GK), Buatu, Baba, O'Halloran, De La Torre.

West Ham United: Spiegel (GK), Knoyle, Page, Whitehead, Oxford, Burke, Bywater, Cullen (Nasha 14), Lee, Morrison, Lletget
Subs: Mavila, Boness (GK), Harney, Gordon

The teams are in...

Following last Friday's disappointing 4-0 home defeat by Liverpool, Haycock is expecting a big improvement from his side today. To read his comments in full, click here.

Meanwhile, Nick Haycock's Dev Squad are still looking for their first league win of the season after four games.


However, Fulham will be without regular U21 manager Kit Symons as he has taken over as caretaker-manager of the Fulham first team following Felix Magath's departure on Thursday.

Tonight's hosts Fulham, have had a strong start to the new league campaign securing seven points from their first three games. Having drawn 1-1 with Southampton on the opening weekend of the season, the Cottagers then beat Everton 2-1 last time out at Motspur Park before winning 2-0 away at Leicester CIty.

Hello and good evening from Motspur Park, Fulham Football Club's training ground and the venue for tonight's Barclays U21 Premier League Division 1 match between Fulham U21 and West Ham United's Development Squad.

Team news coming up very shortly...