The Academy of Football continues to fly as West Ham’s U21s smash Cheltenham 4-0 in the Bristol Street Motors trophy.

The young Hammers have had an emphatic start to the season – they have been scoring goals for fun and sit 2nd in the Premier League 2. Now, thanks to their win against Cheltenham, they secured top of (what was formerly known as) their EFL Trophy group.

Three wins in three games against professional men’s teams is an incredible achievement for the U21s and they can go into the round of 32 with their heads held extremely high.

Ollie Scarles opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, scoring a tap in following an end-to-end start to the match. Then, miraculously, just a minute later the lead had been doubled by Divin Mubama.

It didn’t take long for West Ham to get a third, which came from George Earthy finishing off a brilliant counter- attack. It was only a matter of time before Callum Marshall pounced with a goal 10 minutes before full time to put the game beyond any doubt.

With such an impressive performance, it is clear to see why so many fans are calling for some of these players to be given a shot in the first team. We are lucky to have some of the best talents in the Premier League 2 but it seems like there is limited opportunity for them to make the step up.

Admittedly, it is a massive leap, but surely they would show fight and determination which is a lot more than can be said than some of the first team. They’re now 12 games unbeaten, if they keep putting in displays like they did against Cheltenham, surely it can only be a matter of time before some of them get their chance to shine. Either way, this group has a bright future ahead of them and hopefully they can reach their potentials while wearing Claret and Blue.

By Charlie Bass