- Anthony Scully has called the U18s' match with Reading a "massive game"
- The young Hammers are looking to bounce back from their FA Youth Cup exit in midweek
- Their match with Reading kicks off at 11am from Little Heath Sports Ground
Anthony Scully has declared this weekend’s league clash with Reading as a massive game, as the U18s aim to move on from their Youth Cup disappointment.
It’s been a tough week for the Hammers after a last-minute defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday followed by being knocked out on penalties at Stoke City in the FA Youth Cup 3rd round on Tuesday.
But Scully is backing the team to bounce back this weekend in what will be a crucial match considering that both sides are in the thick of the top four battle.
“All the lads are disappointed with going out of the Youth Cup because we were seen as a group that could have gone on and won it,” said Scully.
“To be knocked out already is very disappointing but in football there’s always another game round the corner to put what went wrong, right. That’s what we’re looking to do on Saturday against Reading.
“We need a good performance against Reading because it’ll put us back on track. We need to put the Stoke game behind us and move on.”
Despite their difficult week, the Hammers are still well on course to finish in the top four spots of the U18 Premier League South.
With Reading just a place behind them in the league in third, the game holds extra significance, but Scully is full of confidence that the Hammers can put on a positive display.
“It’s a massive game this weekend. We beat them 2-0 earlier on in the season but they’re not an easy side to play against,” he added.
“They’re on a good run of form but if we match our performance of the first match against them, we should have no problem.”
Scully missed the majority of October through illness but returned for the home draw with Arsenal and has since had a positive impact on the side.
His performances were rewarded with yet another call up to the Republic of Ireland U18s, where he played 90 minutes twice in a draw against the Netherlands and defeat to Germany.
“I love going away to play with Ireland. There’s always a buzz among the players and that showed on the pitch recently when we had two good performances against Germany and Holland.”
Our U18s match with Reading takes place on Saturday 25 November at 11am at Little Heath Sports Ground. Parking and admission are both free.