Swindon Town 2-3 West Ham United U21s
EFL Trophy Southern Group D, Nigel Eady County Ground, Tuesday 28 October 2025, 7pm GMT

 

West Ham United U21s became the first development team to secure qualification to the knockout stages of this season’s Vertu Trophy, following a 3-2 victory over Swindon Town at the County Ground.

Goals from Josh Ajala, George Earthy and Josh Landers were enough to secure a crucial three points on the road against the joint leaders of League Two.

Climbing above Reading on goal difference in the group means that regardless of Swindon’s result at MK Dons, our young Hammers have qualified for the Round of 32. 

Swindon made a bright start, applying early pressure through a series of long balls and set-pieces, but Krisztián Hegyi remained alert in goal, gathering comfortably from efforts by Adam Murphy and Ryan Delaney. 

Despite enjoying less of the ball, West Ham began to settle, with Preston Fearon, Mohamadou Kanté, and Josh Ajala linking neatly in midfield to push their side forward.

Their composure was soon rewarded. After 25 minutes, a loose ball from Kanté was nodded into Earthy’s path, who found Ajala wide on the left. The winger drove at his man, sent him the wrong way, and calmly found the bottom corner on his weaker foot to give the Hammers the lead.

The goal sparked confidence, and West Ham nearly doubled their advantage moments later when Fearon surged through midfield and played in Landers, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Swindon goalkeeper Lewis Ward.

Swindon continued to threaten, but the young Hammers struck again just before half-time. Captain Airidas Golambeckis won the ball high up the pitch, and Landers threaded a clever pass through to Earthy, who finished coolly beneath Ward to make it 2-0 heading into the break.

After the restart, Swindon responded quickly as Paul Glatzel halved the deficit, firing home after a goalmouth scramble. 

The hosts pushed for an equaliser, but West Ham almost restored their two-goal cushion when substitute Gabriel Caliste was denied from point-blank range following fine work from Emeka Adiele down the flank.

They restored their two-goal cushion on 68 minutes, when Landers finished off a superb sweeping move. Fearon, once again driving forward from midfield, nutmegged his marker and combined with Kanté, who waited for the perfect moment to release Landers. The striker made no mistake this time, finishing confidently beyond Ward to make it 3-1.

Swindon hit back immediately as Glatzel claimed his second with a close-range header, setting up a tense finale. The home side poured forward in search of an equaliser, but Hegyi produced a string of outstanding saves, including a fingertip stop to divert Glatzel’s volley onto the crossbar, and a quick reaction block from point-blank range to preserve the lead.

After over seven nervy minutes of added time, the final whistle confirmed our young Hammers’ passage into the knockout stages for the second time in three seasons.

 

Swindon Town: Ward, Mabete (Wright HT), Delaney, Clarke ©, Glatzel, Ehibhatiomhan, Murphy (Ball 64), Knight-Lebel (Nichols HT), Bodin (Snowdon 76), McGregor, Gray (Kirkman 64)
Subs not used: Summers (GK), Foye

Goals: Glatzel 51, 71

Booked: Mabete

Sent off: McGreggor

 

West Ham United U21s: Hegyi, Briggs, Golambeckis ©, Oyebade, Battrum, Fearon, Kanté, Adiele, Earthy (Caliste HT), Ajala (Medine 74), Landers (Cummings 74)
Subs not used: Byrne (GK), Brown, Colau, Sowunmi

Goals: Ajala 25, Earthy 42, Landers 69

Booked: Golambeckis, Oyebade

Sent off: Brown

 

EFL Trophy Southern Group DPosTeamPWDLGDPts1West Ham United3201362Reading3201263Swindon Town2101034Milton Keynes Dons2002-50