All three of West Ham’s young teams won yesterday in their first competitive games of the season.
The U23 side won 3-0 away to Stoke with goals from new signings, Ashley Fletcher, Antonio Martinez and an own goal from a Stoke City player.
It took the U23 side just three minutes to take the lead when Grady Diangana provided a fantastic inswinging cross towards Fletcher, who nodded past Potters goalkeeper Daniel Gyollai.
It was two on the half-hour mark when Fletcher saw his one-on-one effort saved by Gyollai, but Martinez managed to divert the rebound in off the far post.
The moment of the game came when Fletcher tried an outrageous effort from just inside Stoke’s half which left Gyollai helpless, but the lob crashed onto the bar and bounced out for a goal kick.
Fifteen minutes from time the Hammers got their third. A corner from the left was unintentionally diverted towards the far post where Oliver Shenton cleared the ball off the line, only for it to hit team-mate Sweeney and bounce into the back of the net.
That completed a convincing win, providing the West Ham youngsters with a perfect start in the new U23 Premier League division, where their next encounter will be at home to Newcastle United a week on Monday.
West Ham United U23s: Nathan Trott, Moses Makasi, Declan Rice (c), Reece Burke, Alex Pike (Noha Sylvestre 62), Grady Diangana (Dan Kemp 78), Diego Poyet, Domingos Quina, Marcus Browne, Ashley Fletcher, Antonio Martinez.
Unused sub – Tyler Forde (GK)
The U18 side won 2-0 away to Reading with goals from Tunji Akinola and Alfie Lewis whilst the U16’s completed the Reading rout with a 5-1 victory with doubles from Jeremy Ngakia, Sean Adarkwa along with a Benardo Rosa goal.
West Ham United U18s: Rihards Matrevics, Reece Hannam (Korrey Henry HT), Ben Wells, Tunji Akinola, Ben Johnson, Rosaire Longelo (Malyk Hamilton 90), Kris Belic, Alfie Lewis, Anthony Scully, Joe Powell, Jahmal Hector-Ingram (Yiannis Constantinou 80).