West Ham U23s extended their unbeaten streak in the Premier League 2 Division 2 as they saw off a hard-working Norwich City side at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Four different goal scorers helped the Hammers to a 4-0 victory, securing their position of the top of the table for another week. Both sides created a number of chances, but it was Dmitri Halajko’s squad that were the more clinical side on the night.
Sat In Pole Position
The Hammers came into the game just three points ahead of their nearest rivals, Manchester United, but as the Red Devils have a game in hand, Halajko’s side knew that taking maximum points from this fixture had to be the main focus.
Norwich came into the tie having recently been beaten by Neil Wood’s Manchester United side, which put The Canaries in 10th place with a game in hand on both Fulham and Reading.
For the first time since December, West Ham lined up with Ben Johnson at right back, as the English-born defender returned from injury. There was also a first matchday squad appearance for 17-year-old striker Ademipo Odubeko, who has been in red-hot form in recent games for the U18s side.
Before the game, Hammers coach Halajko called for his side to be more “ruthless”, as they lacked that cutting edge in their most recent 2-2 draw with Stoke City at the London Stadium.
Straight into the Action
The game started in typical style for the hosts, as they’re intensity levels were high from the first whistle, with a couple of big challenges early on. With the visitors making The Irons work hard from the get-go, they forced a couple of early saves from goalkeeper Joseph Anang.
However, it was the East London side that made the breakthrough with a goal from Oladapo Afolayan, as he latched on to a long ball from full-back turned centre-back Goncalo Cardoso, just moments after swapping positions with number nine Xande Silva.
Afolayan on Target Again
Seconds after opening the scoring, Afolayan nearly doubled the Hammers’ lead with a driven shot from the edge of the area, but it just flew past the wrong side of the post for the young forward.
Both sides continued to trade blows for the remainder of the first half, but neither managed to create a clear enough chance to score.
The second half is when the Irons really started to play their football, with the quick, sweeping attacks that we have become so accustomed to over this season starting to create more obvious chances in the opening exchanges of the second period.
Diallo’s Brilliance
It was a moment of divine invention from 17-year-old Amadou Diallo that extended West Ham’s lead in the 58th minute. The ball was fired in by the returning Johnson on the right-hand side, for Diallo to pull off a Johan Cruyff-esque flick with his right foot and direct the ball into the bottom left corner. A simply sumptuous finish.
The second goal brought the visitors back to life as they fought for a way back into the game, but the Hammers were resilient in their defence of their lead. With legs growing weary, Halajko saw it was time for a change as he brought on debutant Odubeko to help secure the three points.
Delightful Debut
Minutes after coming on, a Xande Silva lofted ball sent the 17-year old Odebeko through on goal, with the striker half-volleying brilliantly to give the Hammers their third. He clipped the ball into the far corner as if he had been playing at this level for years, a fantastic debut for the young player.
The Hammers responded well to their coach’s call for ruthlessness in attacking areas, as they found a fourth and final goal in the 82nd minute through the in-form Silva. Centre-back Carlos Sanchez sent a lofted through ball over the heads of the Canaries defenders, for the young Brazilian to latch on brilliantly and stroke the ball past Archie Mair in the Norwich goal.
Looking to the Future
Halajko can be happy with the performance of his players, as they provided the cut-throat attitude that they lacked in their previous fixture.
This dominating display from Halajko’s men will stand them in good stead for their fixture against the in-form Derby County U23s in the Premier League International Cup. The Irons now know that they need to maintain this momentum that they have built over the course of this season if they are to reach their goal of winning the league title.
