On a rain-lashed night at Kingsmeadow, Andy Myers’s side edged a fairly even first period without finding the breakthrough. Thierno Ballo had our best chance from a clever corner routine but failed to hit the target, while goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe made a couple of decent stops in our own goal.

West Ham took the lead after an hour when Sonny Perkins finished smartly having been played in one-on-one, though their advantage lasted less than 15 minutes before Ballo finally found a way through for the hosts, heading in a cross from Dylan Williams. Despite a red card for visiting defender Jamal Baptiste in stoppage time, the points were ultimately shared and the battle for survival for the Blues goes on.

The selection

Myers made four changes from our last outing over a month ago as Sharman-Lowe started in goal, while Brodi Hughes and Bashir Humphreys came in at the back. Xavier Mbuyamba, previously an ever-present in the league, missed out.

Ballo made his first appearance since returning from a loan spell in Austria as Harvey Vale, Dion Rankine and Jayden Wareham continued as the front three, the latter having netted our last PL2 goal in a 3-1 reverse at Arsenal last month.

Ballo gets his range

That clash with the Gunners was five weeks prior to this latest league assignment for the young Blues, a long stretch of postponements caused by bad weather and waterlogged pitches.

During that time, Myers’s men have slipped into the PL2 relegation places, which only added to the significance of this derby in the Kingston drizzle.

It was the visitors who started strongest with a couple of early crosses sent flashing through Sharman-Lowe’s 18-yard box, though Chelsea had the first real chance when Ballo’s acrobatic effort from Rankine’s cross was sent narrowly over the crossbar.

Hammers stand strong

Although the opening exchanges had little goalmouth action, the Blues were able to fashion the most dangerous of the opportunities. The lively Vale had a try from 25 yards midway through the half but was thwarted by a deflection over the top and, from the resulting corner, Hammers keeper Krisztian Hegyi saved well from Ballo with his feet.

Ballo went close again moments later with a fierce low drive that zipped across the greasy surface but was well held by Hegyi, increasingly busy between the posts for the visitors.

Down the other end, Sharman-Lowe was forced into his first action of note when former Blue Pierre Ekwah shot from range and our stopper got down low to keep it out. As the skies opened at Kingsmeadow, the goal threat dried up but Ballo did see an effort fly inches wide late in the half following a clever corner routine.

Irons break through

It was perhaps not surprising that the hosts lacked that final touch of confidence following four consecutive defeats but Myers’s task at the break was to instil some decisive belief into our play for the second half.

While we restarted with control, that all-familiar sucker-punch soon arrived. So often this season, our development squad have played well in games for long periods but lacked precision in the final third and then been made to paid, and so it was once more as West Ham took the lead just after the hour mark.

Strong running through midfield from the former Celtic Irishman Armstrong Okoflex carved out space and he played in Perkins, who had time to settle and finish high beyond the onrushing Sharman-Lowe.

Heading level

In response, Myers sent on Malik Mothersille for some attacking inspiration but it was down the left flank we soon ventured through full-back Dylan Williams. He combined neatly with Vale and the 18-year-old went for goal from a tight angle but couldn’t test Hegyi.

Moments later, the Hammers keeper was beaten but had the frame of his goal to thank for keeping his side’s lead intact. Rankine this time advanced from the right, weaving between defenders before unleashing a left-footed strike that thumped the far post and bounced clear.

Yet the goal our efforts had merited soon arrived with 15 minutes remaining when Williams again got forward down the left and delivered for Ballo to meet with a stooping header that finally beat Hegyi via the underside of the bar.

Despite a red card for Hammers defender Baptiste in stoppage time, it was the visiting side who had the best of the final chances, Freddie Potts spurning the most glaring of them with a header wide from Jayden Fevrier’s measured free-kick.

While a point ends the winless run for our development squad, the need for victories grows greater and Myers will be hoping a Stamford Bridge game against Leeds United next weekend proves more fruitful.

What’s next?

Our youth team are in action away at Stoke City tomorrow (Saturday) in the Under-18 Premier League Cup semi-finals.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Teddy Sharman-Lowe; Brodi Hughes, Josh Brooking (c), Dylan Williams; Xavier Simons, George McEachran (Joe Haigh 83); Dion Rankine (Silko Thomas 87), Thierno Ballo, Harvey Vale; Jayden Wareham (Malik Mothersille 67)Unused subs Charlie Webster, Lucas BergstromScorer Ballo 75Booked McEachran 35; Rankine 86; Simons 90+2

West Ham Krisztian Hegyi, Will Greenidge (Levi Laing 56), Jayden Fevrier, Pierre Ekwah, Jamal Baptiste, Aji Alese (c), Dan Chesters, Freddie Potts, Sonny Perkins, Keenan Appiah-Forson (Kamari Swyer 82), Armstrong OkoflexUnused subs Brian Kinnear, Amadou Diallo, Thierry NeversScorer Perkins 62Sent off Baptiste 90+2