Sunderland U18 2 West Ham United U18 3
Neville Pilkington
West Ham's Elliott Lee scored a hat-trick to steal a win against Sunderland after the home side had come back well to level at 2-2.
It was an entertaining game full of good football and goals. The East London side went ahead in the first minute when, following a defensive slip, Lee advanced on Jordan Pickford in the home goal. The keeper managed to parry but Lee - son of ex Newcastle and West Ham player Robbie - rolled in the loose ball.
Two minutes later it was nearly 1-1 but Sunderland's Glen Lane's shot crashed against the post with away keeper Jake Larkins well beaten.
It was all Sunderland for the next 20 minutes but against the run of play, the Hammers went two up when Lee rose to head his second goal from a corner. His header struck the bar and bounced down over the line despite desperate attempts to clear.
Reece Noble hammered in a shot from 22 yards which keeper Larkins spilled but there was no follow up but it was Pickford who did better to prevent another goal with a super reaction save minutes before the break.
The young Black Cats pulled a crucial goal back in the 64th minute when Tom McNamee advanced to play a square ball to James Brace who coolly passed the ball low into the corner from 15 yards.
Six minutes later, it really was game on when Anthony Callaghan levelled with a brilliant free kick over the wall from 20 yards into the top corner to the keeper's left.
But parity was short lived and once again it was Lee who struck. Although the frontman turned well, he was not closed down just outside the box and was allowed to hit a magnificent low shot which Pickford got his fingertips to at full stretch but was unable to keep out of the far corner.
It was a goal worthy of clinching Lee's second successive hat-trick - he scored three against Sheff United in a 4-1 win last week - but it was still a sickener for Sunderland, after coming back so well, to see the Hammers celebrating what proved to be the winner.
A bitterly disappointed Kevin Ball said afterwards: "To outplay a club with an Academy that we all admire was great but we still lost. We have to be more brave in defence and must take more chances - sometimes we are too soft."
West Ham Director of Academy Tony Carr said: "It was a good open game - they had lots of possession but we can score goals and that's what won it."
Sunderland: Pickford, Noble, Lavender, McNamee, Callaghan, Oliver (Mandron, 69), Martin, Lane (Honeyman, 61), Laidler, Brace, Mitchell.
Subs Not Used: Maddison, Gibbons.
