West Ham United U23s goalkeeper Joseph Anang was in determined mood ahead of his side’s Premier League 2 Division 2 game at Swansea this afternoon.
The U23s will be looking to bounce back from only their second defeat of the season on Wednesday night, when Wolfsburg ‘B’ struck late to snatch an absorbing contest at Rush Green Stadium.
The 19-year-old Ghanaian, who has started all 13 competitive games for his side so far, spoke well of Wednesday night’s opposition, but believes his team need to be more resolute at both ends of the pitch at the Swans’ Landore Training Centre.
“We played well on Wednesday but we weren’t able to finish it off,” the goalkeeper admitted. “They were a very organised side, and they had a few players who are top, top players.
“We’ve also got a few top players ourselves, and we more than matched them. We didn’t deserve to lose. We should have at least got a point, or even got the win, because we just had a few moments where we needed to be more ruthless.”
We've got to go to Swansea and just show what we are capable of doing. We've got to get the three points.
Joseph Anang
The game on Wednesday evening also saw first-team defender Winston Reid return to action in a Claret and Blue shirt, playing the first 65 minutes of the match.
The 31-year-old New Zealand international offered a vocal and composed presence on the pitch for the Hammers’ developmental squad, and Anang was delighted to benefit from his experience.
“It was great playing with Winston,” he said. “He’s got lots of experience and playing with him was a pleasure. He was always talking to me, helping me out, so it made my job a little bit easier!”
Ahead of this afternoon’s testing trip to Swansea U23s, where the U23s could stretch their unbeaten league run to ten games, there is only one thing on Anang’s mind: three more Premier League 2 Division 2 points.
“We’ve got to go to Swansea and just show what we are capable of doing,” the goalkeeper said.
“We’ve got to get the three points – we’ve got no other option than win against Swansea, we all know we have to win. We’re going to get ourselves ready and just treat it as another game, and hopefully keep the unbeaten run going.”
Kick-off at the Landore Training Centre is at 1pm, with a live blog on whufc.com and video highlights available the next day.
