U21s Report: West Ham 1 Leicester City 0

The young Foxes couldn’t break down the bottom club’s lines as they went in search of a fifth win in seven league games, conceding with 10 minutes to go when Djair Parfitt-Williams came off the bench to nod in a Lewis Page corner.
There were appearances for three Under-18s players in Elliott Moore, Ben Chilwell and Layton Ndukwu as the youngsters made the step-up to Under-21s level.
In recent weeks, consecutive victories over Manchester City, Manchester United, Schalke and Benfica followed by a thrilling 3-3 draw with Southampton in the league shortly before the Christmas break had City in high spirits.
A team bursting with confidence, Leicester started the game on the front-foot as Jack Barmby looked to pick out striker Harry Panayiotou, sending a ball over the top of the West Ham back four that just evaded the St. Kitts and Nevis international on eight minutes.
Goalkeeper Adam Smith did well to deny Matthias Fanimo a minute later, pulling off a good save while one-on-one after the opposition’s No.11 burst through on goal.
A fine strike from Blair Turgott forced another stop out of Smith just after the quarter-hour mark – the No.1 picking the ball out of the air with ease as both sides threatened.
At the other end, Panayiotou headed at goal from a Tom Hopper flick-on – Sam Howes collecting the close-range effort comfortably with 20 minutes gone.
Smith then denied Turgott from 10 yards with a stunning save low to his left, clawing the ball out of the bottom corner as the hosts looked for an opening goal.
Barmby looked a threat from the left wing all game, this time cutting inside with the aim to again slip in Panayiotou – Howes wise to the through-ball as the half-hour mark passed.
City piled on the pressure just before the break. Jak McCourt hit one from range which Howes had to palm away before captain Hopper missed a good chance at the back post from three yards – goalless at half-time.
Young defender Moore impressed at centre-half, putting in a good challenge on Paul McCallum on 50 minutes to deny the forward a clear-cut chance as the Hammers hit City with a swift break.
Barmby and Panayiotou combined again on the hour mark, as the former slipped in the striker with a well-weighted through-ball, only for the No.10 to fire wide, before Dodoo’s low drive was turned away minutes later.
A neat flick from Hopper was then stopped by Howes as the young Foxes looked to punish some loose possession from the hosts while Dodoo’s 20-yard strike flew just inches wide of the ‘keeper’s upright shortly after.
A half-cleared free-kick fell to Sebastian Lletget on the edge of the box, but the No.10 couldn’t punish Leicester, and fired just wide as the game started to open up.
Substitute Jordan Brown then rose above the City defence to meet Kieran Bywater’s free-kick, only to head wide of the mark with 13 minutes to play.
While resolute in defence for the majority of the game, City were breached with 10 minutes to play. Page curled a corner into substitute Parfitt-Williams, who flicked a header in past Smith, and Leicester couldn’t find an equaliser.
Steve Beaglehole’s youngsters face Everton next Monday at Belvoir Drive as they continue their 2014/15 U21 Premier League campaign.
WEST HAM: Howes, Westley, Potts (c) (Page 67), Nasha, Burke, Oxford, Turgott, Bywater, McCallum (J. Brown 54), Lletget, Fanimo (Parfitt-Williams 69)
SUBS NOT USED: Whitehead, Boness
GOAL: Parfitt-Williams 80
CITY: Smith, Davis (Chilwell 46), Elder, McCourt, Sesay, Moore, Barmby, Rowley (Barrington 54), Hopper (c), Panayiotou, Dodoo (Ndukwu 87)
SUBS NOT USED: Maddison, Scott
REFEREE: Neil Hair