Lewis Orford produced a moment of real class for West Ham’s U21s, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a narrow defeat to Sporting Lisbon in the Premier League International Cup.
The highly-rated midfielder, who captained the side, has recently been brought back into the academy setup after a frustrating loan spell at Stevenage where opportunities were limited. It has been a mixed year for the super talented Orford who was called up to train with Thomas Tuchel’s senior England squad in the summer.
West Ham’s youngsters were beaten 2-1 at Dagenham in a competitive and hard-fought group fixture, with Sporting taking all three points from east London.
The visitors made a strong opening and struck early, with Lucas Taibo climbing above his marker to head home from a corner inside the first ten minutes.
After a slow start, the young Hammers began to grow into the contest, forcing a series of corners and spending prolonged spells camped inside the Sporting half.
Most Read on West Ham News
That pressure was rewarded in spectacular fashion when Orford stepped up. From around 25 yards, the skipper bent a sublime effort into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Guilherme Pires helpless and underlining his undoubted quality.
Despite the equaliser, Sporting eventually edged the contest by the odd goal, but Orford’s stunning strike was the standout moment on the night.
