U21 Report: West Ham 0-0 Saints
Southampton Under-21s maintained their unbeaten start to the season in Premier League 2 with a goalless draw at West Ham under the lights on Friday night.
Building on the opening day thrashing of Blackburn, Adam Lallana’s side maintained their solid start to their PL2 campaign.
The visitors started brightly as a well-worked corner almost brought an opening goal.
Korban McMullan’s short corner was played into Princewill Ehibhatiomhan, whose shot was blocked by a sea of bodies in the box.
The early pressure continued as Juan Larios’s cross found Sufianu Sillah Dibaga, whose attempt was blocked by a claret and blue body.
Surviving the early pressure, the Hammers responded with their first chance of the half when Ryan Battrum’s header forced Dylan Moody into a smart stop.
A combative affair, chances remained at a premium but it was Saints who had the two last chances of the half.
Hansel Adjei-Afriyie’s corner almost went all the way in, needing to be cleared off the line by Junior Robinson, before Sillah Dibaga blazed a strike over the bar as half-time was reached.
Still at a stalemate, the hosts went close after the restart when Moody had to dive down low to divert Josh Landers’s shot away from the bottom corner.
Becoming an interesting duel, Moody got the better of Landers again midway through the half, this time denying the West Ham attacker at his near post.
Right at the death Saints almost snatched all three points when Sillah Dibaga rounded Finley Hooper, only for Callum Leacock to heroically clear the winger’s effort off of the goal line to force a share of the spoils.
West Ham United: Hooper, Robinson (c), Briggs, Leacock, Clayton, Jet. Medine, Hargan (Brooks 89’), Fearon, Battrum (Dike 81’), Landers (Cummings 68’), Jep. Medine (Murphy 80’).
Unused substitutes: Awesu, Caliste, Ghandali.
Booked: Robinson.
Southampton: Moody, Adjei-Afriyie, Boot (Kayi Sanda 54’), Day (Anderson 64’), Larios, Kakay (Daley 80’), McMullan, Little (Charles 64’), Sillah Dibaga, Gathercole, Ehibhatiomhan.
Unused substitutes: Whittaker, Sainsbury, Bailey.
Bookings: Sillah Dibaga, Boot, Kakay.
Referee: Matthew Norton.
