West Ham demolish Stevenage in one-sided friendly

Stevenage found themselves up against a West Ham side in ruthless form from the opening whistle. The visitors stamped their authority on proceedings early, and the home crowd had little to cheer about as their team was simply outclassed in all departments. The gulf in quality between the two clubs was evident from kick-off, with West Ham controlling the tempo and dictating play throughout the first half.

Ward-Prowse broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, setting the tone for what would become a comprehensive defeat. Just twelve minutes later, Castellanos doubled the visitors' advantage to leave Stevenage chasing the game. The Hammers were slick in possession and clinical in front of goal, with their attacking players operating at a level that the hosts could not match. By the time the interval arrived, West Ham had already established total dominance.

The second half saw West Ham continue their superior display without ever needing to shift out of second gear. Orford added a third goal in the 68th minute before Ajala wrapped up the scoring in the 77th, with only one West Ham player missing from the goal-scoring chart. Stevenage offered little resistance in attack and struggled to create any meaningful opportunities, spending most of the match defending and chasing shadows.

The emphatic 5-0 scoreline gives West Ham plenty of encouragement as they prepare for the new season, with their attacking options looking sharp and their overall performance suggesting they will be well organised under their management. For Stevenage, the defeat serves as a reminder of the gap between Football League clubs and those operating at higher levels, though friendlies of this nature provide valuable experience nonetheless.