Rangers U19s 4-3 West Ham United U18s NEXTGEN CUP, Loko Praha, Prague, Sunday 10 August 2025, 9am BST
West Ham United U18s rounded off their pre-season schedule with a narrow 4-3 defeat to Rangers U19s in the fifth-place play-off at the 2025 NEXTGEN Cup in Prague.
In a frenetic opening, both sides created early chances before Rangers struck first on two minutes. A swift counter saw Cameron Fernie pick out Cormac Christie, who squared for Max Cameron to finish into an empty net.
Lauris Coggin’s side responded well and were rewarded on 17 minutes. West Ham’s high press forced the Rangers back line into a mistake with Jephthah Medine feeding captain Andre Dike who calmly slotted in at the near post.
Rangers regained their lead just four minutes later through Callum Burnside, but parity was restored again before the half-hour when David Chigwada dispossessed a defender and applied a composed one-on-one finish
The young Hammers carried that momentum into the second half and went ahead for the first time on 51 minutes. Vinnie Perkins’ driving run down the right created the opening, and after Joel Kerr’s effort was blocked, Lewis Beckford kept his composure to round the goalkeeper and make it 3-2.
Rangers hit back in the closing stages, Christopher Eadie finishing off a piercing back-to-front move to level proceedings before converting from the penalty spot five minutes later to complete his brace.
Despite late pressure from West Ham, Rangers held firm to claim the win.
The result brings to an end a productive pre-season for the U18s which has seen them dispute seven fixtures over July and August.
Coggin’s young Hammers now turn their attention to the start of their U18 Premier League South campaign away to last season’s runners up Southampton next Saturday.
Rangers U19s: Thackray, McClure © (Adamson 57), Burnside (Stewart 50), Hutton (Kerr 57), Scally (McCallion 57), Fernie, Reid, Hynd, Rankin, Christie (Eadie 57), Cameron (Smith 57)
Subs not used: McGuire (GK), Wark
Booked: Christie
Goals: Cameron 2, McClure 21, Eadie 67, 71 (PEN)
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Perkins (Brooks 58), Smith, Kamara (Onyeka-Fejokwu HT), Scanlon (Jonyla HT), Omotoye (Morris 60), Nwosu (Morris 58), Beckford (Unwin 58), Dike © (Peychev 58), Medine, Chigwada (Kerr HT)
Subs not used: Goodger (GK), Leacock
Booked: Jonyla
Goals: Dike 17, Chigwada 28, Beckford 51
