Blustery winds were always going to be a factor in our first game back after the international break but after a couple of near misses from Tynan Thompson, we forged ahead on 18 minutes when Dante Cassanova stepped in to win the ball with West Ham passing it around at the back, in doing so sending Wilson through to convert beyond Hooper one-v-one.
Wilson could have had a second moments later but saw Hooper beat away his angled drive, with the visitors subsequently beginning to threaten more as we struggled to take a firm grip on the game. Bloedorn dived at the feet of Cummings and left-back Maeson King blocked Fearson’s effort, but King couldn’t prevent Ajala from firing in from the right angle to equalise on 33 minutes, Bloedorn also getting a touch but unable to keep it out.
The keeper made a good stop on his line to deny Ajala a second after a sloppy mistake at the back, but two minutes before the break the Hammers were in front as their goalscorer turned provider, Ajala getting away from the sliding challenge of Luca Furnell-Gill down their left side before cutting back for Cummings to plant home inside the near post.
A tactical change at the break for us saw Logan introduced in place of Pele Arganese-McDermott but the visitors continued to have chances, Lewis Orford’s looping effort saved by Bloedorn, Fearon hitting the bar from the edge of the box, substitute Gabriel Caliste flashing a good chance wide and the persistent Orford being thwarted by a combination of King and Bloedorn. The keeper later denied Cummings and Fearson at the back post before seeing a long-range effort from Rayan Oyebade just over the top.
The introduction of Melia gave us more of a physical presence up front, the striker bringing a large amount of experience after netting 25 goals in 98 senior games in Ireland prior to his move to north London. Having been sidelined through injury since his arrival, he made an immediate impact off the bench, going through in the right channel in his first action of the game but firing over from distance. However, on 70 minutes he hauled us back level, arriving in the middle of the box to bundle home Logan’s fine low delivery from the left flank.
Eight minutes later, we were ahead once more as Reiss Russell-Denny did brilliantly to get away from danger down the right side and cut in along the byline before his low ball into the centre went in off Leacock, with Malachi Hardy in close proximity. Melia could have doubled his tally when he combined with Russell-Denny down the right side but Hooper was equal to the striker’s fierce effort, while West Ham almost snatched another leveller in the sixth minute of added time when the ball landed kindly for Joshua Briggs in the box, but he could only find the side-netting as we escaped with maximum points.