It’s Hammers time for the second year running as Fleet open their Kuflink Stadium pre-season with a visit from the Premier League club’s talented development squad, kick-off: 7.00pm.
Last season’s clash was an exciting affair with the Hammers’ Nathan Holland equalising Dominic Poleon’s opener before Elliott Romain’s excellent, pacy run and shot tipped the balance in Fleet’s favour late on.
As with the game last summer, West Ham are expected to send a mixture of U21 and U23 Premier League 2 players – and many of them may well have played in that previous meeting of the two sides.
The Fleet will look to build on two wins away from home, although will likely be without the injured Jack Paxman who limped off at Chatham in the first-half. Josh Wright and Haydn Hollis both made their first appearances in Fleet shirts in the second-half of that one, leaving only Kieran Monlouis out of action thus far in July – though he is nearing inclusion as well.
As pre-season games progress, Dennis Kutrieb’s starting lineup will in all likelihood settle in contrast to the early matches of entirely different teams in each half.
West Ham, whose U23 manager is former player Mark Robson, have already played a number of pre-season games. A mixture of first-teamers and fringe U23s have already won 2-0 at Servette, 2-1 at Ipswich and drawn 1-1 at Boreham Wood while the development squad are just back from Portugal having lost 2-1 at Sporting Lisbon.
Players who featured in that one who might be expected to play this evening include Scotland U21 goalkeeper Brian Kinnear, former Boavista centre-back Gonçalo Cardoso, dynamic attacking midfielder Kamarai Swyer, Northern Irish prospect Michael Forbes and Aji Alese, who played League One and Two football on loan last season.
West Ham’s U23s finished ahead of Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool to finish second in last season’s Premier League 2. That competition will this season become an U21 league, to reflect the reality of the players in the competition, whose average is currently 19. Five over-age outfield players and one over-age goalkeeper will, however, continue to be allowed to play as needed.
So it will certainly be West Ham’s brightest and best youngsters and developing players on show here at the Kuflink Stadium this evening. Gates open at 5.30pm and car-parking is available for £3 at Ebbsfleet International Station.
Following the final whistle, all supporters are invited to join us in the Main Stand Bar for a post-match live music set.
