U18s Report: City 1 West Ham 2

A brace of goals from Hammers striker Djair Parfitt-Williams was enough to earn his side the win, and deny the young Foxes a point in a hard-fought match. 

The West Ham frontman’s second of the game came with just eight minutes remaining, and was enough for victory, despite the Foxes levelling through striker Simonas Stankevicius’ fine finish early in the second-half. 

After a cautious start to the match, Leicester’s first chance of the game came with 26 minutes on the clock, when full-back Dylan Casey broke free on the right-hand side. 

Casey delivered an inviting low cross, but it was just beyond City striker Layton Ndukwu, and the Hammers gratefully cleared their lines. 

Despite the early chance, it was West Ham who took the lead with 36 minutes gone, Parfitt-Williams coolly finishing after dispossessing City centre-back Sam Jones deep in his own half. 

The Hammers forward was quick to close down Jones, and pounced on the loose ball, breaking free and calmly slotting past Foxes ‘keeper Liam Sharpe to give his side a narrow 1-0 lead. 

West Ham started the second half brightly and could have doubled their lead just two minutes after the break. 

The dangerous Parfitt-Williams was again causing the City defence problems, and tricked his way through the Leicester back line and crossed for skipper Kieran Bywater, but fortunately for the Foxes he blasted over from close-range. 

Leicester responded well to the early scare, and were level just six minutes into the second half, Stankevicius with an excellent finish after determined pressure saw him dispossess Hammers centre-back Manny Onariase. 

The powerful City number nine broke free and found himself in space with just the ‘keeper to beat, and he made no mistake, firing a powerful right-footed strike into the far corner, levelling the game at 1-1. 

The Hammers nearly hit-back on 61 minutes through the lively Parfitt-Williams, but his far-post header flew wide from close range, after an inviting delivery from right-back Alex Pike. 

With the match finely poised and both teams looking to take victory, West Ham regained the lead with 82 minutes on the clock, striker Parfitt-Williams with his second of the match after a quick-fire Hammers counter-attack. 

West Ham skipper Bywater picked out the dangerous striker with a quick free-kick, and City were punished in clinical style as Parfitt-Williams broke free on the right-hand side, firing into the roof of the net past the advancing Leicester ‘keeper Sharpe. 

Parfitt-Williams’ strike proved to be the winner, and despite a late rally, City’s youngsters were unable to breakthrough a sturdy West Ham defence. 

Next up for Leicester’s U18s is a trip to face Arsenal on Saturday 22 March. 

CITY: Sharpe, Casey, Samba, Moore (Dombrauskis, 85), Jones, Dineen(c), Bailey, Miles, Stankevicius, Rowe (Dusabe, 85), Ndukwu 

SUBS NOT USED: Burke, Hassam, Anderson 

WEST HAM: Howes, Pike (Mavila, 72), Burke, Nasha, Harney, Onariase (Bailey, 58), Makasi, Amoo, Brown (Martins, 78), Bywater, Parfitt-Williams 

SUBS NOT USED: Nemrava, Bailey, Knoyle