The West Ham Development Squad played their penultimate match in the Barclays U21 Premier League Elite Group Stage this afternoon against Southampton and despite a good start, a 5-2 defeat means that they have missed out on third place.
The sweltering weather on the South Coast didn’t make the match any easier for either set of players, but the pace of the game continued as Irons went 2-1 ahead after a Jack Stephens handball gave George Moncur the opportunity to score from the penalty spot.
A late and somewhat scruffy first-half equaliser from Southampton was a little scruffy ensured the sides went into the break on level terms.
A double substitution from Nick Haycock at half time introduced Taylor Miles and Frazer Shaw to the action in place of Dan Potts and Ben Marlow, but the second half did not bring the positives of the first.
Two defensive errors midway through the second half gave the home side their third and fourth goal of the game and heads dropped, as the Saints then made it 5-2 late on.
The Hammers now face bottom of the league West Brom in the rearranged fixture which will be their last of the season. They have missed out on third place in the league and the play-offs, which will disappoint the players and Haycock, but the ever changing squad can draw positives from this season.
We’ll get you some reaction on this heavy defeat as it comes through.
By Lucy Woolford, Youth and Development Squad reporter
@lucy_whufc
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