Adam Drury’s strike gave City the lead but a late equaliser from West Ham meant the points were shared.
This was a welcome return to league action following an Patrick Vieira made just one enforced change from the side that started the last league match against Everton.
Albert Rusnak has since gone on loan to Oldham, which meant a place in the starting XI for Devante Cole as City fielded an exciting line-up brimming with attacking talent.
The game started slowly, and it was the hosts who carved out the best chances of the first 30 minutes – sending the ball just wide of the post after an excellent cross into the six yard box, and seeing a free kick cannon back off the crossbar.
City put together some eye-catching moves in midfield but couldn’t break into the West Ham penalty area with any regularity, Sinan Bytyqi’s low shot the pick of the bunch in the opening stages.
Both teams grew in confidence as the half wore on, and Ian Lawlor was called upon to make two good saves in quick succession. City were also able to press further forward, and a delicious sequence of passes between Cole and Marcos Lopes forced the defender to turn the ball behind for a corner.
It was all square at the break, but the tempo picked up noticeably from the restart. City had a penalty appeal turned down after Cole went down in the area, and Lawlor made another good low stop from a West Ham counter-attack.
When City’s goal finally arrived with 15 minutes to go, it was just reward for the increasing pressure exerted on the Hammers’ back line. Substitute Drury had been on the pitch for less than 10 minutes when he made a critical impact from right back, sliding the ball into the far corner of the net from the edge of the box with a little bit of a help from the defender’s leg.
The Blues sought to press the advantage and eagerly surged forward in search of a second. Lopes fired one over the bar, while Jordi Hiwula and Seko Fofana also had chances to double the score.
Lawlor, who had an excellent game between the sticks, pulled off his best save of the night when he tipped a George Moncur rocket onto the post from long range to preserve City’s lead.
But Moncur handed out a late sucker punch when he hit a fantastic shot from the far left of the box with less than five minutes remaining which flew into the roof of the net, leaving Lawlor with no chance.
Although West Ham had a late effort ruled out for offside, both managers had to settle for a point apiece.
Next up for the EDS is a trip to Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday as they kick off the UEFA u19 Youth League campaign.
