West Ham 6-1 Southampton: Hammers break 24-year duck to reach FA Youth Cup final

For all of West Ham’s Premier League woes, here was a pleasant reminder of what could lie ahead.

A night after Newcastle’s 5-1 demolition job, David Moyes was at the London Stadium as West Ham U18s beat Southampton U18s 6-1 to book their place in the FA Youth Cup Final against Arsenal, thanks to a hat-trick from 18-year-old striker Divin Mubama.

Just ten minutes in, Mubama was on hand to meet captain Gideon Kodua’s cross for Kevin Keen’s side, before Callum Marshall doubled the lead.

Divin Mubama was a standout for a West Ham side in full swing at the London Stadium

 The U18 side banished the demons from the first team’s 5-1 home drubbing at the hands of Newcastle on Wednesday night

The win in London sets up a mouthwatering derby in the capital against Arsenal in the final

Kodua and Mubama combined again after half time to make it three.

Dominic Ballard pulled one back for the Saints but it was nothing more than a consolation as Kodua got on the scoresheet with a superb finish, before Mubama got his hat-trick.

And 16-year-old Favour Fawunmi put the icing on the cake.

Mubama, who made his West Ham debut in November, is certainly one to watch. Since his first-team debut, the England youth international has 24 goals for the U21s and U18s and he may still have a part to play in West Ham’s fight for survival.