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1998-99 FA Premier Youth Academy Under-17 

Manager : Peter Brabrook

MANCHESTER UNITED
Chadwell Heath
1 - 2 (Brayley)
5 September 1998

Richards, Clark, Birch, Uddin, Iriekpen (Cleaver), Taylor, Chandler, Garcia, Foyewa, Brayley, Howell

REPORT:

SOUTHAMPTON
Victoria Road
2 - 0 (Brayley, [og])
12 September 1998

Richards, Clark, Birch (Riddle), Uddin, Laurie, Taylor, Chandler (Cleaver), Garcia, Foyewa, Brayley, Howell (Toblenski)

Our Under-17's were playing Saints at Dagenham and Redbridge's Victoria Road Ground. Coach Peter Brabrook was delighted with the Under-17 result. He commented: "it was a good performance and we should have scored more than two goals," The Hammers were the better side in all departments and hit the post and bar three or four times, The second-half was an even better performance and for long spells there was only one team in it. Our first goal was an own goal after a good-strike by Bertie Brayley. The second was the result of a good movement involving three or four players which Bertie finished off with a fine shot."

MANCHESTER CITY
Away
1 - 2 (Howell)
19 September 1998

Richards, Clark (Chandler), Birch (Omonua), Uddin, Laurie, Taylor (Ruddle), Cooper, Garcia, Foyewa, Brayley, Howell

REPORT:

BARNSLEY
Chadwell Heath
8 - 2 (Foyewa 4, Garcia 2, Brayley, Uddin)
26 September 1998

Richards, Cooper, Birch (Riddle), Iriekpen, Uddin (Chandler), Taylor, Howell (Laurie), Omonua, Foyewa, Brayley, Garcia

REPORT:

COVENTRY CITY
Chadwell Heath
1 - 3 (Foyewa)
3 October 1998

Richards, Cooper, Birch, Laurie, Uddin, Taylor, Howell (Chandler), Omonua (Cleaver), Foyewa, Brayley, Riddle (Kelly W.)

REPORT:

CREWE ALEXANDRA
Chadwell Heath
1 - 1 (Foyewa)
17 October 1998

Richards, Howell, Birch, Cleaver (Tobolewski), Laurie, Omonua (Kelly), Chandler (Riddle), Garcia, Foyewa, Brayley, Taylor

The Hammers fell behind after ten minutes of the start. Gradually we improved and it came as no surprise when ten minutes after the break Amos Foyewa scored a fine equaliser.'' Cutting in from the wing, Amos fired a great strike from 30 yards out and the ball curled in just inside the far post. After that Bertie Brayley, Richard Garcia and Foyewa all had chances to score but failed to hit the target.

WATFORD
Chadwell Heath
2 - 2 (Brayley, Fowewa)
24 October 1998

Richards, Howell, Birch (Riddle), Uddin, Laurie (Cleaver), Taylor, Tobolewski, Omonua, Foyewa, Brayley, Garcia

The young Hammers fought back from two down to win a point. It would have been three but for a penalty miss. With wind advantage in the first-half Watford scored two goals in the opening 18 minutes before Amos Foyewa made an opening for Bertie Brayley to reply on the half hour. After the break, Hammers were on top and passed the ball around well in the difficult conditions. On the hour schoolboy Louis Riddle, who had come for the unwell Francis Birch, crossed for Foyewa to equalise with his seventh goal of the season. It was Foyewa who was tripped in the box to give West Ham the chance of winning the game from the penalty-spot but Bradley's spot-kick was saved.

ASTON VILLA
Away
2 - 0 (Foyewa 2)
31 October 1998

Richards, Omonua, Howell, Uddin, Laurie, Tobolewski, Clark (Chandler), Cole (McMahon D.), Foyewa, Brayley, Riddle

The Hammers took a very young side to the Midlands. Applying the early pressure, Villa found our back-four of Omonua, Howell, Uddin and Laurie a tough barrier to break down. Also the presence of Joe Cole playing his first game of the season after injury, gave the team a big lift. With eight minutes gone, Cole picked the ball up inside his own half and hit a long crossfield cross to Brayley wide on the left-wing. Brayley swung over a perfect cross for Riddle to head for goal but somehow Myhill in the Villa goal saved with his legs. Cole was giving the Villa defence problems with his running and he played a part in our first goal. Ten minutes before half-time, Omonua won a tackle, ran into the Villa half and played a wall pass with Cole who then picked out Foyewa who tapped the ball home from close-range. Foyewa scored a second for the Hammers in the 79th minute when-hfe collected & bad back-pass by Villa defender Haynes and fired a thunderbolt shot into the top right-hand corner of the net.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Chadwell Heath
1 - 1 (Foyewa)
7 November 1998

Richards, Cleaver, Howell, Uddin, Laurie, Omonua (Jjunja), Chandler, Riddle, Foyewa, Brayley, Birch (Kelly W.)

REPORT:

PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Chadwell Heath
2 - 0 (Brayley, Laurie)
14 November 1998

McMahon, Howell, Taylor (Toblenski), Uddin, Laurie, Riddle, Chandler (Kelly A.), Omonua, Foyewa (Jjunja), Brayley, Birch

Two goals in a two minute spell in the second-half gave Hammers a well-deserved win at Chadwell Heath. The first goal was scored by Bertie Brayley in the 71st minute. He gained possession inside the Posh box and scored after the keeper had blocked his first shot. A few moments later, our big centre-half Steve Laurie scored the second from a set-piece we had worked on in training the day before. From a corner Francis Birch flicked the ball on for Laurie to head home. Schoolboy goalkeeper Billy McMahon made his debut for the Hammers and did well, including one super save when Rangers came back into the game for a spell.

ARSENAL
London Colney
1 - 3 (Brayley)
21 November 1998

Richards, Howell, Birch, Uddin, Laurie, Riddle (Chandler), Clark, Cole, Foyewa (Jjunja), Omonua, Brayley

We had a tough game at top-of-the-table Arsenal, but for the first 35 minutes or so I thought it could have gone either way. Then we conceded two bad goals. Their first was from a corner when our defenders failed to mark the. receiver and the second came from a shot Lee Richards should have saved. 
We worked hard in the. second-half to come back into the game and scored when Bertie Brayley converted from the penalty-spot in the 69th minute. We should have added a second when Joe Cole broke through. Their 'keeper made a great save and pushed. the ball onto a post. Steve Clark. following up had the goal at his mercy, but missed with the 'keeper on the floor. We had a couple of other chances before the Gunners scored a third iate on. Overall, the scoreline flattered the home side and a draw would have been a fairer result. 

MILLWALL
Chadwell Heath
2 - 0 (Foyewa, Uddin)
28 November 1998

Richards, Howell, Birch, Uddin, Laurie, Omonua, Clark, Cole, Foyewa (Jjunju), Brayley (Chandler), Riddle

REPORT:

DERBY COUNTY
Away
2 - 0 (Cooper, Howell)
12 December 1998

McMahon, Howell, Birch, Omonua (Cleaver), Uddin, Taylor, Clark, Cooper (Chandler), Foyewa (Jjunju), Brayley, Riddle

REPORT:

COVENTRY CITY
Away
3 - 1 (Garcia, Iriekpen, [og])
19 December 1998

McMahon, Forbes (Howell), Birch, Uddin, Iriekpen, Cooper (Riddle), Clark, Cole, Foyewa, Garcia, Brayley

An excellent performance from the Under-17's against a good Coventry side that beat us 3-1 at Chadwell Heath earlier in the season and who had defeated Arsenal 3-0 the previous week.
West Ham took the lead after 29 minutes through a typical Richard Garcia goal. Amos Foyewa sent in a perfect cross from the left and Richard got in front of his marker to head the ball into the top corner of the net. Fifteen minutes into the second-half, a cross by Cooper, following a corner, was cleared but the ball found Issie Iriekpen lurking in the box and he headed home. Coventry pulled one back when a deflection off Uddin gave McMahon no chance. There was a element of luck about our third goal in the 80th minute Joe Cole took a free-kick just outside the box and the ball took a deflection from a Coventry defender and wrong-footed their 'keeper..
So a great result, against the best team we have played so far this season. We performed very well, looked solid, maintained a good shape and the players worked hard for each other. The only black mark was Foyewa's  sending-off in the 83rd minute.

WATFORD
Parmiters School
1 - 2 (Cooper)
30 January 1999

Richards

Cooper

Birch

Uddin

Laurie

Taylor

Chandler

Garcia

Foyewa (Jjunji)

Brayley (Toblenski)

Riddle

The Under-17s returned to the action after a six week lay-off, started well and looked much the better side. The Hammers should have taken an early lead when two chances fell to Amos Foyewa but his first, effort was turned round the post for a corner by Watford 'keeper Lee. A few minutes later Foyewa was through with only Lee to beat, but this time a defender got his foot to the ball. Hammers deservedly took the lead on 20 minutes when Richard Garcia put through a perfect ball right to Ashley Cooper's feet. He beat a defender before slipping the ball past Lee into the net.
Watford kicked-off the second-half with a great deal more determination and put the Hammers under pressure. They equalised on 51 minutes through Saunders. Nine minutes later Riddle appeared to have put the Hammers back in the lead. The referee signalled for a goal, but his assistant ruled the ball had not crossed the line. On 78 minutes Francis split the Hammers' defence, but was brought down in the box. He scored from the spot-kick. A few minutes from the end Ashley Cooper was sent-off.

FULHAM
Motspur Park
1 - 0 (Riddle)
13 February 1999

Richards

Howell

Birch

Uddin

Laurie

Taylor (Wickens)

Chandler

Omonua

Foyewa (Jjunju)

Brayley (Toblenski)

Riddle

A game of missed chances. "We should have been four or five goals up by half-time, but poor finishing let us down," said Peter Brabrook. The Hammers were vastly superior to Fulham who only looked dangerous from set-pieces. It was much the same story in the second-half with the Hammers well on top but failed to take their chances. Shots hit the post and bar before Stephen Laurie finally put the ball in the net following a corner. Unfortunately the referee disallowed the strike for offside. Then in the 68th minute Peter Brabrook made changes around up front and we looked more dangerous. Our match-winner came in the 80th minute after Moses Jjunju played a ball into Lewis Riddle. Despite being closely-marked Riddle got his foot to the ball first and deflected it into the net. 

BRISTOL CITY
Chadwell Heath
1 - 0 (Brayley)
17 February 1999

Richards, Howell, Birch (Smith), Uddin, Laurie, Taylor (Thomas), Toblewski, Omonua, Jjunji (Chandler), Brayley, Riddle

REPORT:

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Chase Lodge
0 - 0
19 February 1999

Richards, Howell (Everett), Taylor, Uddin, Laurie, Chandler (Smith D.), Clark, Toblenski (Trigg), Foyewa, Jjunji, Riddle

Again poor finishing let the Under-17's down against Spurs. "We deserved to win and certainly created enough chances," said Peter Brabrook. The Hammers should also have been awarded a penalty when Moses Jjunji was brought down with only a few minutes of the game remaining. 

PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Away
2 - 2 (Unknown)
27 February 1999

Line-up Unknown

REPORT:

ARSENAL
Chadwell Heath
2 - 2 (Smith, Uddin)
6 March 1999

Sealey J., Cleaver, Uddin, Laurie, Taylor, Brooker, Clark, Omonua, Cooper, Brayley (Smith), Jjunji (Mehmet)

REPORT:

WIMBLEDON 
Chadwell Heath (Away fixture played at Home)
2 - 1 (Cooper, Lolli)
10 March 1999

Sealey J., Cleaver (Brown), Taylor, Uddin, Laurie, Cooper, Brooker, Omonua, Jjunji (Lolli), Clark, Brayley (Smith)

REPORT:

MILLWALL
Calmont Road
4 - 0 (Brayley, Clark, Cooper, Mehmet)
20 March 1999

McMahon

Howells (Brown)

Taylor

Cleaver

Laurie

Smith D. (Jjunji)

Clark

Omonua (Mehmet)

Brayley

Toblenski

Cooper

REPORT:

ASTON VILLA : FA Premier Academy League (Play-off Round 1)
Chadwell Heath
2 - 3 (Riddle 2)
10 April 1999

Richards, Clarke (Jjunji), Birch (Cleaver), Uddin, Laurie, Taylor, Omonua (Smith) (Howell), Toblenski, Riddle, Brayley, Cooper

REPORT:

WEST HAM UNITED                                              ON-LINE MUSEUM

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