- Jahmal Hector-Ingram was left delighted after scoring the Hammers PL2 team’s winner against Middlesbrough on Friday
- The forward delicately lobbed the hosts’ keeper before nodding home from close range
- He revealed how keen he was to take the starting place opportunity with both hands
Jahmal Hector-Ingram revealed the pain suffered at the end of West Ham PL2’s 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Friday was worth it having scored the first half winner.
Terry Westley’s men headed to the Riverside Stadium looking to bounce back after defeat to Aston Villa on Monday, and they did exactly that, putting in a steely performance to grind out the win.
And Hector-Ingram admitted, having been a constant outlet up front, closing down every ball, he was suffering as a result after 90 minutes.
He said: “I am dying right now! My hamstring is in bits! But you get the reward for working hard, so I don’t mind about that. It’s a long journey back, but it will be good having got the win.
“I will be getting a couple of cramps on the way home, but the win makes it all the better! We’ve got the weekend to recover now, too.
“It was a brilliant team performance. We got the three points we were looking for, so it was a good response from the lads losing against Aston Villa on Monday.”
Hector-Ingram was making his first start of the season for the U23 side after impressing for the U18s throughout the campaign with five goals in seven matches.
He explained how keen he was to make an impression in the north east once he learned of his starting position.
“The performance was good for me. It was an opportunity for me and I took that by scoring the winner but the main thing for the team is that we got the victory.
“There is a lot of competition for the striker position in this team so when you do get an opportunity, you do have to take it with two hands. Otherwise, you won’t be in the team. I want to keep making it hard for Terry to pick his team every week.
“The main focus now for us is the game against West Brom on Halloween, and we just have to make sure we are fully focused on that fixture.”