After scoring the Development Squad’s first goal of 2016, a rare header, Djair Parfitt-Williams described his side’s seven game unbeaten run as a big achievement.
A 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on a chilly Monday evening at Rush Green saw the young Hammers maintain their superb run of form after a brief break in matches.
Parfitt-Williams broke the dead-lock just before half-time with a well-placed header from Alex Song’s pinpoint delivery, before Reece Oxford sealed the win late on with another header from a Song cross.
Speaking after netting his second goal in four games, the Bermudan-born forward beamed: “Seven games unbeaten is good in any league, that’s hard to do so it’s a big achievement.
“I don’t score too many headers as I’m pretty small, I’m 5’8 on a good day! So I’m happy.
“It’s always nice to get on the score-sheet. Songy put in a good free-kick and I managed to get a good connection on it and placed it in the corner.”
The win, the Hammers sixth in seven games, takes them to fourth in the Barclays U21 Premier League Division Two table, just two points off the top spot.
Parfitt-Williams continued to emphasize the confidence generated from their rich vein of form: “It was a great performance from the whole team, we passed them off the pitch and scored two good goals.
“That was the game plan, Terry told us to pass the ball around and control the game for as much as possible and I think we did that well.”
For now, the Hammers will have to park their league ambitions as, up next, they’re in the U21 Premier League Cup action with a Round of 16 tie with Fulham on Wednesday 13 January.
Looking ahead to the London derby at Rush Green, Parfitt-Williams is hoping his side can take their league form into the cup: “Last cup game we won 4-0 against Exeter City so it was a good start and we want to build on that against Fulham. We’ve got a lot of confidence right now and we want to keep that going.”
“Personally, I just want to keep on doing what I’m doing really, keep working hard and training well every day and if I do that I think I’ll do well.”
