Stevenage vs West Ham

West Ham's first-half double, scored inside 25 minutes, effectively ended the contest as a meaningful test. Stevenage manager Alex Revell admitted afterwards that his side "allowed them to come on to us too often" in the first period. With the League One side unable to lay a glove on the Hammers before the break, the second half became an exercise in fitness-building for both sets of players — 11 substitutions each side underlined the pre-season nature of the fixture.

James Ward-Prowse opened the scoring with a 13th-minute goal, recovering his own rebound, and was withdrawn at half-time having set the tempo from midfield. Taty Castellanos looked sharp in a front-two partnership with Bowen, scoring the second and linking play effectively before his own interval substitution. Lewis Orford capped an impressive second-half display with a fine curling strike from midfield, staking a claim for first-team involvement in the Championship campaign ahead. Josh Ajala also made a strong impression, scoring West Ham's fourth and later telling whufc.com: "It's nice to get involved in the first team during pre-season."

West Ham's 5-0 scoreline reflects a gulf in class that was evident from the opening exchanges. The Hammers led 2-0 at half-time and added three more after the break against a Stevenage side that had good spells but lacked a cutting edge. Revell noted that his side had "good chances in the game that we didn't take" and that "they did and that's the difference in levels." The 11 substitutions each side made the second half a disjointed watch, but the quality gap was unmistakable.

West Ham continue their pre-season preparations unbeaten after drawing 1-1 with Southend United on 18 July. The Hammers face Millwall on Saturday 25 July, followed by Rangers and a German training camp fixture before their EFL Championship campaign begins. Stevenage, who were playing their second pre-season friendly under new tactical shape, host Millwall on Saturday before their League One season opener. Revell stressed the result was about "learning" and "making sure we keep getting better" ahead of the competitive campaign.

A routine pre-season workout for West Ham, who moved through the gears without needing to get out of second. The depth — particularly the impact of academy players Orford and Ajala — will encourage Nuno Espirito Santo as he builds a squad for the Championship. For Stevenage, the scoreline is a reality check against higher-level opposition, but the fixture was always about preparation rather than the result.