West Ham United's Under 18s breezed through to the final of the Premier League Cup after comfortably overcoming Derby County in this afternoon's semi final encounter.
The hosts were no match for West Hams youngsters who secured their place in the final courtesy of a comfortable 3-1 win over the Rams.
Two-goal hero Josh Ajala opened the scoring in today's lunchtime kick-off, converting Jethro Medine's centre with 16 minutes on the clock.
It was a lead the Hammers doubled little more than 60 seconds later when recent signing Josh Landers took advantage of a poor back pass from Derby's Tom Marriott before firing home United's second.
Derby halved the deficit shortly after the half hour mark through former Hammer Charles Ebuka, who found the net after being set up by Cruz Allen.
However the Rams were unable to grab an equaliser and the only goal of the second half went to West Ham, with Ajala notching his second of the day after converting Emeka Adiele's cross.
Speaking after the game, Head Coach Lauris Coggin admitted he was delighted at the team's performance. "I’m really pleased for the boys," he told West Ham's website.
"I thought they showed a real level of maturity in difficult moments in the game, which you expect from any semi-final. In the end we showed our quality and the moments that really mattered, we were there.
"It’s a massive achievement for everyone. The whole Academy can be proud. I think in these boys' journeys, so many people played their part. It's a fantastic achievement.”
And skipper Preston Fearon added: "It's nothing less than we deserve - we've done nothing but work hard. We were up for it from the first minute, and then we got the two goals that gave us momentum.
"We came out of the second half ahead, and I felt like the second half was more dangerous, but we stayed together as a team and that's exactly what Lauris [Coggin] wanted.
"It would be great to lift the trophy with the boys. It would be my first one since three years ago, when I first joined. I'm just proud to be captain of this club."
Awaiting the young Hammers in the final are Reading, who beat Liverpool 3-0 in today's other semi final.
West Ham Utd: Awesu, Medine, Golambeckis, Oyebade, Mayers, Adiele, Fearon, Hargan (Balogun 89), Sowunmi (Dike 76), Ajala, Landers (Nwosu 89)
Subs not used: Hooper, Kamara
Goals: Ajala (16, 75), Landers (17)
Derby County: Price, Marriott, Canoville, Osayande, Gordon, Eames, Tola (Mintus 82), Oguntolu, Allen (Hodges 89), Agustien, Ebuka (Ward 78)
Subs not used: Rees, Connell-Webster
Goals: Ebuka (24)
Booked: Tola
Referee: Mitchell Cartwright
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