Arsenal 2-2 West Ham United U21s
Premier League 2, Mangata Developments Stadium, Saturday 4 October, 1pm BST
West Ham United U21s twice led away at Arsenal but were forced to settle for a point after Louie Copley’s late equaliser denied them victory in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Meadow Park.
With Mark Robson and his staff on duty with the first team at the Emirates Stadium, Head of Coaching and Player Development Greg Lincoln guided the young Hammers, who produced a disciplined display and were agonisingly close to taking all three points back to east London.
Arsenal controlled most of the possession in the opening exchanges, but our young Hammers showed patience in their press and real threat in transition.
Preston Fearon almost made the breakthrough after being picked out by Tyron Akpata, while Josh Landers went close to wriggling through the home defence.
At the other end, Tom Wooster and his back line of Airidas Golambeckis, Ezra Mayers and Rayan Oyebade were called upon to make several important interventions as Arsenal threatened.
The opener arrived on 35 minutes from a set piece. Emeka Adiele’s delivery to the back post was headed across goal by Mayers, and when Arsenal failed to clear, Fearon was first to react, creating his own space before firing in from close range for his third goal of the season.
Parity was restored almost immediately as Arsenal’s Max Dowman drove forward down the middle and found the bottom corner from outside the box with his weaker foot, giving Wooster no chance and ensuring the sides went in level at the break.
If the first half had been largely about containment, the second began with a statement. Within nine minutes of the restart, West Ham started the strongest and struck again through Mayers. Adiele was again the provider, lifting a free-kick to the far post where Mayers rose highest to nod home his first goal at U21 level, capping a superb all-round display from the defender.
From there, Arsenal pressed hard for an equaliser, forcing Wooster into a string of saves, but West Ham continued to carry a threat on the counter. Fearon almost added his second when his curling effort was destined for the top corner, only to be denied by Tommy Setford’s flying save. Substitute Elisha Sowunmi also went close with a deflected strike.
It looked as though the visitors had done enough to withstand the pressure, but deep into stoppage time Arsenal found a way through. After Andre Harriman-Annous recycled a scuffed cross at the back post, he stood the ball up for Copley, who nodded home from close range to restore parity for a second and final time.
A frantic end-to-end last few minutes of stoppage time ensued but the full-time whistle confirmed a share of the points, extending our young Hammers’ unbeaten run in the league to four matches.
Arsenal U21s: Setford, Nichols (Ferdinand 82), Washington, Salmon, Clarke, Ibrahim, Stevens (Kamara 56), Copley ©, Harriman-Annous, Dowman, Sagoe Jr
Subs not used: Mitchell (GK), Lannin-Sweet, Dudziak
Goals: Dowman 37, Copley 90+3
Booked: Dowman
West Ham United U21s: Wooster, Golambeckis ©, Oyebade, Mayers, Medine, Fearon, Kanté (Sowunmi 74), Caliste, Akpata, Landers (Brown 90)
Subs not used: Byrne (GK), Hargan, Colau
Goals: Fearon 35, Mayers 54
Booked: Kanté, Oyebade, Landers
