For the second week running, West Ham United U21s mounted yet another second-half comeback, drawing 2-2 against Athletic Club B in their second Premier League International Cup (PLIC) clash. A brace from Brad Dolaghan helped the Hammers recover from a two-goal deficit, though they were unfortunate not to secure all three points after dominating the second half.

The game began with West Ham seeing much of the ball in the opening minutes but struggling to move up the pitch. Bilbao, on the other hand, quickly grew into the contest, and they capitalised on a pair of defensive errors to take a commanding lead after just a quarter of an hour.

The first blow came in the eleventh minute, as West Ham were caught in possession in their own half. Bilbao’s Adrián Pérez picked up the loose ball before finding Aritz Conde who unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area that flew beyond Fin Herrick, leaving the Hammers goalkeeper with little chance.

Just three minutes later, Bilbao doubled their advantage. A failure to clear their lines allowed Igor Oyono to pounce on the ball inside the penalty box, and he calmly slotted it into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

The visitors could have easily added a third before the 20-minute mark, but Herrick kept West Ham in the game with a crucial one-on-one save, using his legs to deny Oyono and prevent further damage.

The young Hammers looked shell-shocked as Bilbao took control of the game. Despite their struggles, the hosts began to find some rhythm as the half progressed. Ollie Scarles, Dan Rigge and Josh Ajala combined well on the left, but a crucial last-ditch tackle from Daniel Belategi prevented the striker from pulling one back.

As half-time approached, the U21s showed signs of improvement but went into the break frustrated and two goals behind. Lead coach Mark Robson made key changes at half-time, bringing on Emeka Adiele and Brad Dolaghan in an attempt to change the course of the encounter.

The substitutions had an immediate impact, as West Ham came out firing in the second half, and it did not take long for the momentum to shift in their favour. In the 52nd minute, Dolaghan sparked the comeback. A header from Josh Briggs on the halfway line bounced towards the Bilbao goal. Latching onto the ball from an onside position, Dolaghan reacted quickest and finished coolly one-on-one to halve the deficit.

The goal injected life into the Hammers, who continued to pile on the pressure. Just eight minutes later, they nearly drew level when Favour Fawunmi rattled the crossbar with a curling left-footed effort from the edge of the box. The visitors struggled to contain West Ham’s relentless attacks, and they were fortunate to see a dangerous cross from Fawunmi headed goalwards by Dolaghan rattle the woodwork just minutes later.

Bilbao managed to steady themselves for a brief spell, but West Ham’s dominance finally paid off in the 83rd minute. Dolaghan, picked out by Adiele after another bursting run down the left, was once again in the right place at the right time and saw his deflected shot loop over the Bilbao goalkeeper Oier Ariznabarreta and into the net, making it 2-2.

With the game level, the young Hammers pushed hard for a winner. Despite their late surge however, Bilbao held firm to see out the draw and ensure a share of the spoils.