If the kids are United

Jack Wilshere comes off after a successful run-out with the Under-23s

Enjoyed seeing the Under-23 side take on Leicester City at the London Stadium on Sunday. I was joined by real fans Matt and Lisa in a crowd of a few hundred in the West Stand, complete with Ben Johnson and Grady Diangana sitting in front of us. The match was notable for the return of Jack Wilshere, who completed 60 minutes or so without mishap. And we got to see the great Steve Potts coaching from the touchline. The Hammers ultimately won 1-0 against a big Leicester side with a late penalty from Dan Kemp, a small but skilful midfielder. 

Conor Coventry was quietly effective in front of the back four, while Nathan Holland showed great skill at times on the wing, though he needs to improve his end product. Ajibola Alese was also a solid presence at the back. This was my first time in the West Stand. The view from row 15 was pretty good, and the pitch doesn't look as far away as it appears in photos. Though there is an ugly gap between the upper and lower tiers which we don't have in the Billy Bonds Stand. And there are large gaps between the seats as if they were all designed for fat blokes.

The biggest mystery was why it was so complicated to get a free ticket. This involved a phone call to the club and then having to pick up a paper ticket from the ticket office. Surely just using your existing season ticket card would be better for under-23 games and result in a bigger crowd?

Dan Kemp scores the decisive penalty