Maidenhead United 4-2 West Ham United U21s
Pre-Season Match, York Road Stadium, Saturday 19 July 2025, 3pm BST
A spirited West Ham United U21s fell to a 4-2 defeat at Maidenhead United in their third pre-season fixture on Saturday afternoon.
Two goals in the space of three minutes from Ryan Bartley and Harry Pritchard put the home side in the ascendency midway through the first half, and with the last kick of the opening 45, Bartley headed home his second.
Asher Yearwood notched the Magpies’ fourth in the second period before Sean Moore pulled a goal back for the Hammers with a well-placed, left-footed strike from outside the box with eight minutes to play.
West Ham continued to end the game on a positive note and duly got their second through substitute Josh Ajala, who rolled the ball past Harvey Collins in the 90th minute.
Maidenhead, managed by West Ham legend Alan Devonshire, enjoyed a bring start to proceedings, with Josh Umerah fashioning two early sights at goal. The first was a deft header from Pritchard’s cross that he flicked wide, before Michael Forbes produced a strong block to deny the striker.
The home side’s early pressure eventually told on 17 minutes when Bartley was in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball home after a left-wing free-kick caused a melee in the penalty area. And Magpies supporters were on their feet again three minutes later following a stunning strike from Pritchard, who let fly from range and saw his effort nestle into the top corner.
Just a minute later, Maidenhead could have made it three, but Sam Barratt sent his first-time shot from Trialist A’s cut-back over the bar.
Hammers forwards Josh Landers and Daniel Cummings worked tirelessly throughout, chasing down every loose ball, and the latter almost latched onto Tyron Akpata’s long pass after the half-hour mark. Not long after, the West Ham captain yielded a sight at goal, but sent his left-footed volley from the edge of the box wide of the mark.
Mark Robson’s young professionals continued to end the first half brightly. Superb wing play from full-back Jethro Medine saw the No2 get to the byline and cut back for Landers, but the cross was intercepted at the final moment and helped out for a corner.
Up the other end, shot-stopper Finley Hooper made a smart save to hold Josh Umerah’s header from a free-kick. The goalkeeper was also equal to Barratt’s powerful strike as the first half drew to a close.
But right on the stroke of half-time, the home side netted their third as Bartley nodded home his second from a Barratt free-kick.
After three goals in the first half, the second period took a while to get going. Luis Brown did well to make a last-ditch block to stop Trialist A’s cross working its way into the penalty area before both Moore and Landers saw efforts go wide.
However, on 68 minutes, Maidenhead notched their fourth as Yearwood, with his left foot, lashed the ball home on the volley from inside the box.
The hosts crafted more sights of goal as substitute Jaydn Dundas saw a low effort deflect just wide of the post before Trialist B curled a shot just over the bar.
But with eight minutes to play, the east Londonders got themselves on the scoresheet through a brilliant finish from Moore, who fired the ball past Collins at his near post from the edge of the area.
And they got their second in the 90th minute, as substitute Ajala broke through on goal and supplied a tidy finish to halve the deficit.
Robson’s young professionals will take the positives from their clash with the National League South side into their fourth pre-season friendly on Tuesday, which comes against Northampton Town (kick-off 7pm BST).
Maidenhead United: Van Stappershoef (Collins 69), Bartley, Ragguette, Yearwood, Ferdinand (Andrews 46), Pritchard (Trialist C 69), Umerah (McMenemy 46), Cochrane, Barratt (Stewart 69), Onariase © (Dundas 46), Trialist A (Trialist B 69)
Goals: Bartley, 17, 45+3, Pritchard 20, Yearwood 68
Booked: Yearwood
West Ham United U21s: Hooper, Medine (Robinson 69), Brown, Hargan (Rigge 69), Briggs (Luizão 58), Forbes (Oyebade 58), Moore, Akpata ©, Cummings (Caliste 69), Landers (Ajala 69), Sowumni (Battrum 69)
Goals: Moore 82, Ajala 90
Booked: Robinson
Robson: We showed more bravery in the second half
Development team Lead Coach Mark Robson was pleased with his side’s second-half display against National League South Maidenhead United on Saturday afternoon.
After falling three goals behind at half-time at York Road Stadium, the Hammers more than matched their opponents in the second.
Although the hosts notched a fourth after the hour mark, they kept their heads high to score a brace of goals in the final ten minutes - courtesy of Sean Moore and Josh Ajala strikes.
Despite his side’s third pre-season friendly ending in defeat, Robson took positives from how his team will benefit from the lessons learned in Berkshire.
“It was a really good test for us, as it was last year,” he said. “We’ve been changing the team around in pre-season so everybody gets minutes, and we were a little younger today.
“In the first half, to be honest, we struggled, but it’s a good thing because it gives the boys an understanding of what’s to come over the next few years.
“In terms of learning, it’s a fantastic opportunity for them to find things out about playing against senior players. If you go across and play with the first team, they’re going to be even quicker and stronger than these guys.
“[In the first half] I was a bit disappointed with our overall play and I wanted to see a bit more personality from them. We had a little chat at half-time, and at the start of the second half I thought we came out and showed a bit more bravery, both off the ball and on the ball. It was much, much better and I thought the boys had a right go, which is what we want and what we need, so that was good.
“We gave [the players] around about 70 minutes and then brought some of the other boys on who played a few nights before, and I thought we were excellent in the back-end of the game. I thought we were really good. We showed some good quality and got back into the game. Overall, I was really pleased with the second half, we were much, much better.
“In the first half we struggled to play out from the back and needed a bit more bravery and forcefulness, which is something we’ll work on in the training ground. Credit to them because they stopped us, and that’s the name of the game. But it’s a massive learning curve for everybody, even for the boys who didn’t start the game.”
Robson’s outfit face Kevin Nolan’s Northampton Town on Tuesday night for their fourth pre-season test, and again the Lead Coach is relishing the challenge.
He added: “We’re playing Northampton on Tuesday, they’re going to be ten-fold [compared to Maidenhead] in terms of physicality, speed, everything else.
“They’re all challenges that hopefully the boys grasp and learn from, and take into our season.”
