U18s: West Ham United 0-1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa moved equal top of the Under-18 Premier League South with a hard-fought 1-0 win on the road at West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. 

Mason Cotcher struck 20 minutes from time for Jimmy Shan's Young Lions to ensure they would take all three points at Little Heath Sports Centre, securing a third victory in their last four outings as the season reaches its climax. 

It was Shan's side who started the stronger in Essex, immediately piling pressure on their hosts and letting shots off as they looked to take an early lead. 

Cole Brannigan was seeing a lot of the ball, testing goalkeeper Tommy Goodger inside the opening 11 minutes, before Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba headed off target not long after. 

Despite this, the Hammers retained a threat in the attacking phase, and would go the closer of the two sides to breaking the deadlock in the opening period when Elisha Sowumni struck the post with a left-footed effort from inside the area just after the midway point of the first half. 

Villa went back on the offensive, with Trai-Varn Mulley, Cotcher and George Hemmings all calling Goodger into action, but a breakthrough couldn't be found as the first 45 ended goalless.  

Bradley Burrowes made his return from injury at the half-time break, replacing Rodrigo Fortes, and the pacy forward immediately gave the Hammers defence something extra to think about, with his quick feet and darting runs in behind. Jimoh-Aloba again forced a save from Goodger five minutes after the restart, before Burrowes himself tested the home 'keeper as the hour mark approached. 

The Villans kept pushing and, having limited their hosts to very little in front of goal throughout, finally made their dominance pay with 70 minutes on the clock. Cotcher provided the game's decisive moment, picking up Brannigan's pass and finding the bottom corner from inside the area to edge Shan's charges ahead. 

Then came the Irons' response, with Chinaza Nwosu calling Sam Proctor into action before Sowumni couldn't keep his effort down, but Villa successfully saw out the remainder to put another big three points on the board. 

The win sees the Young Lions move level on points with Chelsea at the top of the Under-18 Premier League South table, but with two games still in hand on the London outfit, who currently sit first with a marginally superior goal difference. 

Shan's side are back in league action on Tuesday morning, hosting West Bromwich Albion at Bodymoor Heath, before locking horns with Manchester City in the final of the FA Youth Cup at Villa Park on Monday, May 5.