FA Youth Cup, Fourth Round
West Ham United 2-0 Chester-Le-Street Town
26 January 2004

The team from County Durham were one of only two left in the competition from non-League clubs and they had entered at the 1st Qualifying Round stage way back in early September. Before their glamour tie at West Ham, Cestrians manager Andrew Muxworthy had commented: "The most important thing from my perspective is that we go there and compete. I want us to give a good account of ourselves, so that West Ham know that they have been in a game".

Chester-Le-Street had already knocked out Morecambe, Burscough, Bradford Park Avenue, Hartlepool United, Port Vale and Derby County. Although the dream ended at Upton Park last night, they did themselves proud - and dozens of supporters who had made the long trip down - and had the Young Hammers very much in their sights until a second, clinching goal was scored nine minutes from time.

The tie was surprisingly close, particularly in the first half when some hard running and timely tackles from the north-east lads kept West Ham on their toes. Two Hammers efforts, from Kyle Reid and Tony Stokes, did strike the bar and post respectively but Chester-Le-Street had their chances too. For example Robbie Houghton’s low shot through a crowd of players was diverted round a post at the last moment by Matthew Reed in the home goal.

Just as the teams were looking more and more even, with the result very much in the balance, Hammers scored a curious goal. Visiting ‘keeper Liam Connell, who had looked pretty confident up to that point, made a present of the ball to Reid with a mistimed clearance on 52 minutes and the left-winger instantly volleyed the ball high into an unguarded net.

Chester-Le-Street heads certainly didn’t drop and they came close to fashioning an equaliser on three or four occasions. Martin Urwin, a 66th-minute substitute, had two chances in quick succession but both stabs at the ball were blocked by West Ham defenders. Hardly unexpectedly, tiredness crept in towards the end and Chester’s Carl Jones, a stalwart centre-half, was so badly afflicted by cramp that he had to be substituted.

A second Hammers goal would have settled matters and it duly arrived on 81 minutes. Winger Sam Wright forced a corner on the right and was sent flying into an advertising hoarding for his pains. Connell rather flapped at the ball as it came across, pushing it high in the air. As a group of players on the goal-line stretched for it, Darren Blewitt’s head got there before the ‘keeper’s fist and West Ham were 2-0 up and safe.

Teams

West Ham United: Reed, Henry, Bunce, Parrington, Blewitt, Cohen, Wright, Noble, Yao, Stokes, Reid
Chester-Le-Street: Connell, Stoker, Draper, Houghton, Jones, Curry, Bulford, Glazinski, Laws, Clough, Richardson
Referee: Mr. C. Hayes
Attendance: 935