WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
2025-26 Premier league Under-18 (South)
Manager: Lauris Coggin - Kevin Keen Lead Professional Development Phase Coach
The 2024-25 Under-18 Premier League is the 14th campaign of the top tier of the Under-18 Development League. A total of 26 teams are split regionally into north and south leagues. Teams face their regional opponents both home and away before the top two face each other to determine the national champion. Aston Villa are the defending champions.
SOUTHAMPTON
Staplewood
0 - 2
16 August 2025
Awesu
Perkins
Scanlon
Jonyla (Unwin)
Leacock
Beckford
Morris-Agyemang (Medine)
Dike
Kamara
Chigwada (Kerr)
Balogun (Brooks)
Two first-half goals condemned West Ham United U18s to defeat in their opening U18 Premier League South match.
Southampton opened the scoring through Leo Umeh’s curling 18-yard strike inside 12 minutes, then Korban McMullan doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, and although substitute Jephthah Medine came close in the second-half, we tasted defeat at Staplewood.
Southampton U18s:
Moloney, Adjei-Afriyie, Vallance, Martin, Sewell, Rohart-Brown (Sainsbury), Umeh (Little), McMullan, Newman (Goremusandu), Rodda (Robinson), Gathercole
BIRMINGHAM CITY
Little Heath
1 - 1 (Beckford 4')
23 August 2025
Awesu
Perkins
Scanlon
Leacock (Montague)
Jonyla
Nwosu (Balogun)
Dike
Unwin
Kerr (Chigwada)
Beckford
Medine (Peychev)
West Ham United U18s were denied a first victory of the 2025/26 U18 Premier League South season after visiting Birmingham City struck an 88th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Little Heath Training Ground.
It looked like Lewis Beckford’s goal after just three minutes would be enough to see off the newly-promoted Blues, but Kian McCusker snuck in behind late on to ensure it finished honours even on Saturday afternoon.
Beckford, who was impressive throughout, took his goal well, pouncing on a slip from the away side's goalkeeper before rounding Szymon Terenowicz to tap home.
Birmingham City U18s:
Terenowicz, Thompson-Jones, Biol, Campbell, Ranson, Martin-Moore, Ugorji, Maddox, Nunes-Wickham (Degtiarev), McCusker, Flavell (Rea)
SUNDERLAND : Premier League Cup (Group E)
Academy of Light Training Ground
3 - 1 (Dike 3 (13' pen, 20', 85')
26 August 2025
Hooper
Brooks (Perkins)
Scanlon
Kamara
Leacock
Nwosu (Jonyla)
Kerr
Morris-Agyemang
Chigwada (Medine)
Beckford (Obi)
Dike
West Ham United U18s began the defence of their Premier League Cup crown in confident fashion, securing a 3-1 victory away at Sunderland thanks to an Andre Dike hat-trick.
Dike struck the outside of the post on eleven minutes after latching onto a pinpoint long pass from goalkeeper Finley Hooper, who impressed throughout with his distribution, both long and short. Moments later, Dike’s persistence brought reward. Having danced past defenders inside the penalty area, he was clipped just as he shaped to shoot. The referee pointed to the spot, and the forward calmly converted to give West Ham a deserved lead.
The winger struck again just eight minutes later. Lewis Beckford picked off a loose pass in Sunderland’s defensive third and showed great awareness to slide the ball across to Dike, who finished with ease into an unguarded net. Hooper then had to be alert at the other end, tipping over a fierce strike from Matthew Burns on 25 minutes, before Sunderland halved the deficit ten minutes later. George Bell’s clever pass released Lewis Campbell, who kept his composure under pressure from Leacock to slot beyond Hooper.
The hosts emerged with greater purpose after the break and came close to an equaliser when Joseph Nield’s dangerous cross was deflected against his own post by Leacock.
In the 76th minute. Sunderland worked a neat move that forced Hooper into a sharp save from Alex Lienard, and just when the match threatened to tilt, West Ham delivered the knockout blow. Chukwuemeka Obi latched onto Joe Scanlon's long throw, hooking a perfect cross towards the back post for Dike to nod home from close range, completing his hat-trick an hour after scoring his second. Lauris Coggin’s side then managed the final stages confidently, closing out the contest to claim three valuable group-stage points and a winning start to their title defence.
Sunderland U18s:
Cowan, Bell, Hester, Burns (Lienard), Forsyth, Nield, Scott, Struk (Matadeen), Campbell, Proctor, Dinsdale
LEICESTER CITY
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