Keenan Appiah-Forson says West Ham United U21s are focusing on moving up the Premier League 2 Division 1 table after Friday’s 1-0 win over Fulham.
Victory over the Cottagers at Rush Green Stadium was a fifth win in six league matches for the Irons, a run of form that has moved Appiah-Forson and his teammates off the foot of the division and up to tenth.
The string of victories comes after a difficult opening few weeks to the 2022/23 campaign for the development team, and the midfielder believes the side have shown they have the quality to ensure they stay away from the bottom two, and potential relegation.
“Our form has really picked up and we just want to keep going now,” Appiah-Forson told whufc.com. “We want even more wins, keep getting three points and make sure we stay away from that relegation zone.
“We’re looking up the table, not down, and we want to chase the teams that are above us and keep climbing the league.”
The win against Fulham comes on the back of league victories against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Chelsea, with the most recent game in particular showcasing a defensive maturity from the Hammers.
Neither side boasted numerous goalscoring opportunities, but Appiah-Forson was pleased with how the Irons were able to get past a good Fulham side.
“We’re feeling good after beating Fulham,” he continued. “We always aim to get three points and we managed to do it with a professional performance. We were playing against a good, talented Fulham team and it was a very hard game, but we were able to get through it and get the result we wanted.
“It was a very tactical game, I think. There were not too many chances in the match but everyone in our side played their part and we managed to squeeze through. It was a real team effort, and everyone had to do their job in order to get this win. We did exactly that.”
The only goal of the match came on 34 minutes when Divin Mubama raced through on the Fulham goal. While the striker’s initial effort was stopped by goalkeeper Alex Borto, Mubama made no error with his second strike for his tenth goal of the season at U21s level.
“Divin is a very hard-working striker,” Appiah-Forson said. “It’s the same in training too and you see it every time he’s out there on the pitch. It’s no surprise to me that he’s getting these goals at the moment.
“He’s so young and he’s doing a big job for this team right now. He’s full of confidence and he’s really helping us with his performances.”
At 21-years-old, Appiah-Forson now finds himself as one of the older players in the development team, and the midfielder is relishing his role as a leader for Mark Robson’s young group.
With 23 appearances in all competitions this season for the U21s – the most of any player – Appiah-Forson hopes his efforts are serving as an example to his younger teammates.
“Time goes really quickly in this group!” He laughed. “I’m now one of the oldest in this group and I want to keep doing what I have to do.
“I like helping the younger players out and I also just want to keep playing well and being an example to them on and off the pitch.”
