Irons grab draw with late comeback

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.