Only two minutes in, the young Hammers took the lead when forward Josh Ajala prodded home.
Chelsea promptly tied the game, with Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny guiding a long-range shot into the top corner just 90 seconds later. Chelsea led before halftime owing to forward Frankie Runham’s goal, but West Ham gained confidence and momentum in the second half, delivering an amazing performance.
Rayan Oyebade, who came off the bench for West Ham, scored a beautiful volley into the roof of the net to tie the game at 2-2, but it wasn’t long before they fell behind again.
Russell-Denny scored his second goal of the game, a free kick that went off the post and into the bottom corner, putting Chelsea back ahead with 20 minutes remaining. The Hammers put pressure on Chelsea in the final 20 minutes of the game, creating numerous opportunities to secure a well-deserved draw.
Kevin Keen’s side, on the other hand, were unable to get the goal required to earn a point against their London rivals.
Despite their six-game winning streak coming to an end, West Ham’s U18s remain top of the Premier League South Division, level on points with Tottenham, who have played one fewer game.
Despite the fact that his team did not win, wing back Emeka Adiele was pleased with their performance, saying: “I thought we all played well as a team and we did our best. We dominated the game in both half and created our own opportunities.”
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