West Ham United U18s 3-2 Crystal Palace U18s
U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 8 November 2025, 11am GMT
West Ham United U18s made it four wins in a row, coming from behind twice before snatching all three points at the death with a last-second winner from Andre Dike, alongside goals from captain Callum Leacock and Chuk Obi, in a thrilling five-goal encounter against league leaders Crystal Palace.
The young Hammers faced a tough task, with Palace sitting top of the table on 18 points from nine games before kick-off. Despite the visitors' form, West Ham came into the game full of confidence after three consecutive victories, and their momentum showed from the start.
From the first whistle, both sides played at a high tempo. West Ham’s pressing caused early problems, and Obi was played in behind within minutes, but his cross was cleared, which was an early sign of the home side’s intent.
However, after ten minutes, it was the visitors who had their first big chance following a misplaced pass from the back, allowing Mylo Bernard through one-on-one. Finley Hooper reacted superbly however, saving with his feet to deny what looked a certain goal, an early contender for Save of the Month.
At the other end, the hosts’ pressure continued to mount, and on 25 minutes, Obi turned sharply inside the box and set up Jephthah Medine, whose effort struck the post before Obi fired the rebound over. The home side’s intensity was growing, and Palace were struggling to get in the game.
Two minutes later, Obi had another big chance to open the scoring as Joe Scanlon’s cross from the left found the No9 again, but his half-volley was parried away by the Palace goalkeeper.
Despite the dominance, it was Palace who took the lead against the run of play in the 32nd minute. A corner for the away side wasn’t cleared and fell to defender Jacob Fasida, who drilled his shot into the bottom corner.
After the break, West Ham immediately regained control. The pressing from Lewis Beckford and substitute Jonathan Unwin set the tone, and just minutes later, they found their equaliser, which was a well-deserved reward for their dominance.
In the 52nd minute, Obi brought down a long ball and combined with Medine, who slipped it to Beckford. The midfielder spotted Obi’s run and threaded a clever pass through for the striker, who calmly slotted home to make it 1-1.
While Lauris Coggin’s side controlled possession, Palace remained a counter-attacking threat. Substitute Tomas Jonyla made a crucial block to deny a dangerous four-on-one breakaway that could have restored the visitors’ lead after the hour mark.
However, the league leaders then struck again in the 66th minute, capitalising on their pace in transition. David Montjen broke through and finished off the post, with the ball narrowly crossing the line despite a desperate clearance attempt.
But the young Hammers didn’t allow their heads to drop and continued to show their attacking threat. In the 68th minute, Beckford’s clever vision found Obi once more, but his low strike was straight at the 'keeper.
West Ham kept pushing, and their persistence paid off. In the 74th minute, captain Leacock slid in at the back post to score the equaliser from another pinpoint Medine delivery, with his dangerous set-pieces causing problems all game.
Just minutes later, Medine almost turned from provider to scorer. A loose ball fell to him as he dribbled inside the box and rounded the Palace 'keeper, but his shot was cleared off the line at the last moment.
Despite Palace’s late counters, West Ham were resolute in defence. Then, deep into stoppage time came the decisive moment.
In the 96th minute, top scorer Dike once again stepped up as the hero for his eighth goal of the season. Picking up the ball on the left flank, he weaved through challenges and powered into the box before firing home a brilliant strike to seal a 3-2 win with the final kick of the game.
The players ran to the corner and celebrated a well-deserved win together, the Hammers’ fourth straight home victory and a statement result against the league leaders.
West Ham’s next fixture sees them return to Playford Road to face Ipswich Town after beating them 8-2 in their previous encounter. This time, they face each other in the U18 Premier League Cup, where Coggin’s side have made a perfect start in their defence of the competition title. The Hammers need just a single point in their final group game to reach the knockout stages.
West Ham United U18s: Hooper, Perkins, Scanlon, Fejokwu (Jonyla 59), Leacock ©, Morris (Thomas 70) Dike, Brooks (Unwin 46), Obi (Kerr 70), Beckford, Medine
Sub not used: Ayesta (GK)
Goals: Obi 53, Leacock 74, Dike 90+6
Crystal Palace U18s: Whitworth, Muwana, Fasida, Walker-Smith, Somade, Okoli ©, Oduro (Lamidi 90), Danaher (Bonsu-Amako 73), Bernard-Ferguson, Bernard (Martin 59) Montjen
Subs not used: Monk (GK), Mason
Goals: Fasida 33, Montjen 66
Booked: Muwana, Danaher, Bernard-Ferguson
Coggin: The quality of the boys showed throughout
After recording a fourth consecutive victory, lead coach Lauris Coggin praised his side’s control and composure against league leaders Crystal Palace.
He said: “We were playing against a really physical, tough opponent who are having a great season so far. The way that we controlled the game, with and without the ball, was fantastic. The quality of the boys showed throughout. The way it finished was a nice moment, it was no more than what we deserved.”
Coggin also highlighted his pride in how the team maintained their dominance and winning mentality, despite frequent changes to the squad.
“I’m so proud,” he continued. “The number of young players that we drop into the group is ever-changing, but we’ve got a fantastic work ethic and team spirit, a real togetherness within the group.
“It takes a few months when you get a new group of scholars for things to click, to gel, and to understand each other. Over recent weeks, we’ve really seen that, whether it’s been in the U17s game, the U18s, the cup competitions, or the league. It’s a fantastic place to be.”
With the match marking his final game in charge, Coggin reflected emotionally on his time at the Club since progressing up the ranks at West Ham.
He added: “I’ve been here ten years now, and I’ve been in a privileged position where I’ve seen young players progress their careers all the way through to the first team. That’s been amazing for me to be part of.
“The Club means so much to me, it’s a real family place, and it’s somewhere I’ve called home for so long. I’ll continue to follow the Club with fond memories and take pride in watching the players we’ve worked with continue their journeys.
“I can only thank the Club for their support and for what it’s given to me and my family. What’s special about working in youth development, especially at this Club, is getting to know the players as people, and not only them but their families as well. I’ve built brilliant connections with all of them. To see them progress and give everything every day is really special. Those relationships mean more to me than anything else.”
Hooper: I couldn’t do this without the team
Goalkeeper Finley Hooper, who signed his first professional contract this term, also shared his thoughts after the dramatic win, which marked his seventh consecutive victory between the posts this season for our U18s and U17s.
He said: “Going into this game, our preparations were the same as always. We knew it was going to be a tough task, but we came in knowing what to do.
“We made it harder for ourselves, that’s for sure. We didn’t take our chances in the first half, but after half-time we knew we could really go after them, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Reflecting on his personal record, Hooper was quick to credit his teammates. He said: “Personally, I’m buzzing, the team’s buzzing, and going into every game, you just want to win. That’s all I want to do.
“Obviously, seven wins from seven is great, but I couldn’t do that without the team. Everyone else’s decisions make mine better.”
Hooper also paid tribute to Coggin’s influence during his and his teammates' development at West Ham Academy following his final game in charge.
He said: “Lauris has made a big impact on a lot of players in our age group. For me personally, he’s been with me since I was about eleven or 12. He’s really intelligent about the game, he’s taught me so much, and I’m very, very grateful.
“I wish him all the best for the future, and hopefully I’ll see him again soon.”
