Mark Robson's West Ham United XI kicked-off their pre-season schedule with a 4-1 defeat at National League South side Worthing on a sunny Saturday afternoon in West Sussex.
With a number of Academy of Football youngsters travelling with Graham Potter's first-team squad to Germany for a week-long camp on the same day, Robson gave starts to captain Tyron Akpata, Josh Ajala and Gabriel Caliste, while goalkeeper Mason Terry, defender Luizão and wing-backs Junior Robinson and Regan Clayton were back in West Ham colours after returning from loan spells at AFC Hornchurch, Pogoń Szczecin, Sutton United and Dagenham & Redbridge respectively.
On a warm but mercifully breezy afternoon on the south coast, the two squads produced a lively game in the circumstances, with former Academy of Football striker Brad Dolaghan marking his return to Worthing with a second-half hat-trick to inspire the Mackerel Men to victory.
Before Dolaghan was introduced at the break, Mason Terry and opposite number Seb Stacey were both called into action early on, saving low shots from strikers Nathan Odonkonyero and Josh Ajala respectively.
West Ham went in front on 15 minutes when Regan Clayton and Dan Rigge combined down their left flank before the later cut back for Ryan Battrum, who controlled and fired low between Stacey and the near post.
Worthing rallied and, after dragging one shot wide, the hosts' lightning quick striker Bailey Wright beat Terry to a long ball forward and lobbed the ball past the goalkeeper and into the unguarded net.
The Mackerel Men then had a decent spell, with captain Joel Colbran heading wide and Jack Spong seeing a shot well saved by Terry. Odonkonyero and Ajala then traded chances again, both shooting off-target from inside the penalty area inside the space of 60 seconds.
Robson and opposite number Chris Agutter each made seven substitutions at half-time. West Ham created the first opportunity of the half when Sean Moore raced away and saw his initial shot blocked and a follow-up effort saved.
Worthing rallied again, with Glen Rea seeing a long-range effort deflected narrowly wide before Dolaghan took over.
Moments after a drinks break midway through the second half, Josh Briggs was caught the wrong side and fouled his former Academy teammate inside the West Ham penalty area. The striker, who had rejoined Worthing on Friday, stepped up to score from the spot, sending Fin Hooper the wrong way.
And the former Hammer, who spent last season on the Academy's books, made the game safe with five minutes remaining, racing through and slotting a right-foot shot to Fin Hooper's left and into the bottom corner.
There was a chance for Daniel Cummings to mark his first appearance with a goal, but the young Scotsman's shot rolled wide before Dolaghan completed his hat-trick in added time, acrobatically turning Sam Beard's cross inside the far post.
Worthing: Stacey, Colbran © (Trialist 76), Cook (Jordan 71), Byron (Beard HT), Jordan (Ransom HT), Frimpong (Sorondo HT), Coleman De-Graft (Packham HT), Spong (Burgess HT), Rea (O'Brien 67), Smith (Babalola HT), Odonkonyero (Dolaghan HT)
Goals: Smith 24, Dolaghan 68 (pen), 85, 90+1
West Ham United XI: Terry (Hooper HT), Robinson (Medine HT), Briggs, Luizão, Brown (Battrum 90), Clayton (Moore HT), Akpata ©, Caliste (Hargan HT), Rigge (Landers HT), Battrum (Sowunmi HT), Ajala (Cummings HT)
Goal: Battrum 15
Referee: Steve Hughes
Attendance: 2,694
Robson: It's a part of the process around developing and learning
While development team lead coach Mark Robson concentrated on Saturday’s pre-season match at Worthing, he was also paying attention to Graham Potter’s first-team squad as they flew out to Germany earlier that day.
The reason being that no fewer than 12 players who could have featured in his squad in Sussex were on the plane with the Club’s seniors – goalkeepers Lanre Awesu and Fin Herrick, defenders Ollie Scarles, Kaelen Casey, Ezra Mayers, Airidas Golambeckis and Emeka Adiele, midfielders Lewis Orford, Mohamadou Kanté, Preston Fearon and Freddie Potts and striker Callum Marshall.
“We're obviously really delighted that the manager has taken them and he's going to have a good look at them and it's brilliant for us because it shows all the boys that there's an opportunity, if they do well, that you've got a manager that's prepared to have a look at you,” former West Ham winger Robson observed.
“So it's brilliant that he's taken them on pre-season tour, as well as some of the boys that have come back from their loans as well. It's great. They've got eyes on them, they can see them and fingers crossed we get a few that really impress and can stay within that first-team group.
“It's what we're here for. We want to try and promote these boys as much as we can and the fact that the gaffer's prepared to have a good look at them for us is brilliant.”
With a dozen players away, Robson gave opportunities to players who have stepped up from their scholarships this summer. The result was a competitive first half, but a second in which his relatively inexperienced side found it hard to cope with senior opposition from National League South. It was, therefore, a day to learn from the experience, take it in and move forward for his players.
“I thought today, first half, we were good, I thought it was decent,” he continued. “We've only been back in a week, so I think to go straight into a game after one week was a bit tough. We showed some really good signs around how we want to play, what it looks like, in possession, out of possession, so that’s really good.
“We changed it at half-time to give everybody at least 45 minutes, and we just maybe physically a little bit weaker, and we just said to the boys in there: ‘we'll be playing against teams this year in the cups that are going to be even stronger than these, so it's a part of the process around developing and learning’.
“I thought Worthing were excellent second half, I thought they were really good, I thought they bossed us in the second half, and it was, like I said, a fantastic learning curve for those younger boys that have come up from U18s, to witness what the next part is and what the next step is, the physicality of things, it's going to be tough, but fingers crossed they can all come through that in a year or two years' time.”
One player who showed his quality was Brad Dolaghan, who joined West Ham from Worthing a year ago after scoring seven goals in nine games as a teenager. While things did not work out for the striker in east London, he has returned to the Mackerel Men and scored a hat-trick, impressing Robson no end.
“I thought he was excellent today, when he came on, and he took all his goals really well, and we know he can do that,” he confirmed. “He’s a really good kid, first and foremost, a great lad, his work ethic every day was spot on.
“I think he's come here now and it gives him an opportunity to get some real game time against men, and I'm sure if he does well, he will move up the pyramid, especially if he puts his chances away like he did today.
“I'm really, really pleased for him and his family, because he's, like I said, he's a great kid, and we wish him well in his next endeavour.”
