Stevenage 2 Irons 2
West Ham United first-half XI: Adrian, O’Brien, Cresswell, Reid, Chambers, Noble, Poyet, Vaz Te, Nolan, Morrison, McCallum
West Ham United second-half XI: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, Potts, Kouyate, Whitehead, Downing, Diame, Jarvis, E.Lee
Goals from Matt Jarvis and Stewart Downing saw the Hammers back from a 2-2 defecit at Stevenge.
Goalkeeper Adrian gifted the hosts their first goal when Adrian made a hash of Cresswell’s headed back pass and the winger Pett slotted the ball into the unguarded net.
Diego Poyet got his first start in a Hammers shirt and Leo Chambers and Ravel Morrison were also involved in the first half Hammers side.
But there was no Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole or Mauro Zarate on show despite Sam Allardyce saying he’d be parading full strength sides.
Hammers new boy Aaron Cresswell curled an early free kick over the bar and Morrison, Noble and Poyet produced some neat football.
It wasn’t Adrian’s day and he made two further errors, the second of which saw Bond slam against an upright.
However, there was no let-offs for Stevenage’s second goal when a triallist turned past Jaaskelainen in teh 76th minute to find he bottom corner.
The Hammers started their comeback six minutes from time when Matt Jarvis produced a diving header to convert a Guy Demel cross.
There was time to introduce teenage striker Jannai Gordon in the 87th minute but it was Downing who found an equaliser a minute into extra home when nodding home Jarvis’ assist.
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