Dev Squad end season with defeat

West Ham U21s' season didn't quite come to the close they hoped after another loss, this time to West Brom, in the final game of the Barclays U21 Premier League.

The 1-0 defeat ensured that the Irons the season on the high that skipper Callum Driver had called for pre-match, but the lads can take heart in the narrow nature of the scoreline after the 5-2 demolition by Southampton last week.

There were chances for the Hammers to equalise after Adil Nabi’s shot was deflected into the goal by Jordan Spence in first half injury time to put Albion in front. Striker Paul McCallum, fresh from a productive loan at League Two side Aldershot, came close and Elliot Lee had a great effort stopped by the Baggies' keeper before later hitting the bar in the second half with a free kick.

Unfortunately, Matthias Fanimo was stretchered off in the first half, so our best wishes are with him. His injury made way for Irish forward Sean Maguire to put in another shift but with no goal.

That caps a very up and down season for the U21 side, which has seen the excitement of new signing Wellington Paulista, the emergence of great young talent such as Elliot Lee and some late drama, notably the last-gasp 3-2 win against Liverpool.

We will bring you reaction from players and manager on this as it arrives.

By Lucy Woolford

@lucy_whufc

Hall over: young striker returns from Trotters loan

West Ham striker Rob Hall has returned to the Boleyn Ground after completing a somewhat frustrating loan spell at Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers.

The loan was Hall's second of the season, after an excellent few weeks at Bolton's Championship rivals Birmingham City, where he provided seven assists and became a real fan's favourite.

However, the 19 year old's time at the Reebok Stadium proved to be less productive, as he only made one appearance, in Bolton's 2-2 final day draw with local rivals Blackpool last Saturday- a result which saw the Lancashire side narrowly miss out on making the Championship play-offs.

Hall has been back in action immediately after arriving in London, as he started this afternoon's Development Squad against West Bromwich Albion U21s. Sadly, the youngster was unable to help his Hammers teammates end the U21 season on a high, having missed out on the U21 Premier League play offs, as Albion ran out 1-0 winners.

By Alex Shilling, News Editor

@alexshilling

Haycock incandescent with 'kamikaze' Dev Squad defending

Some sloppy defending saw the Development Squad turn a 2-1 lead into a 5-2 defeat yesterday at Southampton, in what was a vital game in the chase for play-offs and now has derailed West Ham's U21 season, with third place now out of reach.

Manager Nick Haycock didn’t let his players off for the second half display but hopes that such a defeat will spur his players on for a positive last game at West Brom.

Haycock told West Ham TV: "We'll look back at that first 20 minutes and wonder how we've lost the game at all, never mind by that scoreline. For those 20 minutes the boys played to instructions, got out the traps and hit them hard early. We were a threat doing things the right way and we could have been 3-0 up before they'd even started.”

While Haycock admits that forced half time substitutions may have unsettled his team, he also noted that the young players have to learn to adapt to changes.

On the loss he said, "no excuses, they played better than us. Sometimes as a coach you have to hold your hands up and say the second 45 minutes was totally dominated by Southampton. They looked hungrier, they looked more intelligent and they looked like they wanted to win the game.

"It's the first time they have let me down and I told them that in no uncertain terms. The performance levels in the second half were unacceptable."

On the defensive side of the performance, Haycock knows that all five goals could have been avoided with better and sharper defending. He added: "good performances start from the back with keeping a clean sheet. It has stood the first team in good stead this year and I've told the boys that if you're a defender at this club, your job is to defend. The goals were kamikaze.”

He even went as far as to say that the side were “lucky” that the scoreline was only 5-2, and this seems to be the most animated and unhappy we’ve seen Haycock this season. He concluded: "I don't what the season to witter away. I want a reaction as a group of players and we have to look to West Brom to make sure we finish the season strongly."

So do we Nick, so do we!

By Lucy Woolford, Youth and Development Squad reporter

@lucy_whufc

Dev Squad miss out on play offs

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.

Elliot Lee continued his excellent vein of form and scored after four minutes from a Sean Maguire pass to put the Hammers ahead, but Southampton equalised 10 minutes later.

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