SISANDA Maguranyanga scored four goals as Southend United’s shadow squad kicked off their National League U19 Alliance Division A campaign with a 6-3 victory over West Ham United Foundation.

Maguranyanga was on target twice in the first half as Blues overcame an early goal by Taylor Ansell-Quinton to lead 2-1 at the interval.

Brandon Dadson netted two minutes into the second period, before Maguranyanga completed his hat-trick to make it 4-1.

However, the Hammers came storming back in a breathless opening to the second half as Bobby Kelman and Manny Shana hauled the visitors back to 4-3 before Oscar Miller and Maguranyanga eased the teenage Shrimpers clear.

And coach Tom Bailey had plenty of praise for Maguranyanga.

"The first one you would expect him to score, a free one-on-one, but the rest - and especially the third into the top corner - were of a really high quality,” said Bailey.

“He was a nuisance all-day with his all-round game, and he caused problems with his pace in behind and his dribbling ability. He made life very tough for the defenders and he was outstanding.”

Maguranyanga first showed a glimpse of his ability in the fourth minute when he got goalside of the West Ham defence, but he angled his finish wide of the left-hand post.

Four minutes later he saw an effort blocked following Yobor Sorae’s right-wing cross before George Ganney repelled Dadson’s follow-up and Alfie Humphrey saw his attempt from 20 yards out charged down.

Jack Jones went close for the visitors in-between as he stabbed wide from twelve yards out but, when West Ham next attacked, they took the lead.

Blues goalkeeper Luca Sorrentino was adjudged to have handled the ball outside the penalty area and Ansell-Quinton curled the free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

The teenage Shrimpers were only behind for six minutes. Having won a header in midfield against Riley Scopes, former Hamilton Academical youngster Maguranyanga found himself one-on-one with Ganney, and he rounded the custodian before rolling the ball into the empty net.

Shana smashed over from the edge of the penalty area for the visitors, but Blues continued to look threatening going forwards and Sorae saw his shot blocked after Nikolay Zlatev had picked out Maguranyanga with his pass. Dadson then rolled Maguranyanga clear and his centre fizzed just out of reach of Zlatev.

Sorrentino did well to smother Shana’s close-range finish on the half-hour, and that enabled Southend to edge ahead for the first time on 36 minutes. Zlatev progressed through midfield before sliding Maguranyanga in down the right-hand side of the penalty area, and he slipped his finish beneath Ganney to make it 2-1.

Dadson saw a shot deflected narrowly wide a few seconds later, and Blues went in ahead at the break after Sorrentino turned Bobby Kelman’s strike around the base of the right-hand post.

Kelman also saw an attempt charged down just after the restart, and instead it was the Shrimpers that netted in the 47th minute.

Again Maguranyanga was involved, finding Zlatev on the edge of the penalty area and he threaded the ball through to Dadson, who took the ball wide of Ganney before tapping into the net from six yards out.

The most spectacular goal of the game arrived just three minutes later as the impressive Maguranyanga completed his hat-trick.

He collected the ball 25 yards out to the left-hand side of the penalty area and dispatched an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner for 4-1.

If Blues thought the game was won at this point, they were served notice that there was still work to do within sixty seconds as Kelman received a lofted diagonal pass and steered his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

The frenetic nature of the game continued as the Hammers reduced their deficit to just one goal in the 53rd minute.

This time Shana was the scorer, forcing the ball beyond Sorrentino and into the bottom right-hand corner.

West Ham sensed an equaliser and Spyridon Lagopodis nodded inches wide of the far post in the 56th minute before Sorrentino made another important stop, pushing out Kelman’s low effort.

Ganney made a good save to deny Maguranyanga following Sorae’s slide-rule pass, but he was powerless when Miller cut across a left-footed shot from sixteen yards out and picked out to the very top left-hand corner after the left-back’s initial delivery from a free-kick had been partially cleared.

The scoring was completed in the 69th minute at the end of an excellent move involving Sorae, Zlatev and Ronnie Durussel.

That all fed Maguranyanga, who arrowed a precise finish in off the inside of the right-hand post to make it 6-3.

Sorrentino made a point-blank save to thwart Kelman before superbly turning away an Ansell-Quinton free-kick during the final 20 minutes as Bailey’s side made a successful start to the new season.

“It’s nice to get on the board, not just with the three points but the performance as well,” the coach said.

“There are still a few things to work out defensively, but in possession it was a really strong performance and that’s reflected fairly by the six goals.”

Southend United U19s: Luca Sorrentino, Ronnie Durussel, Oscar Miller, Alfie Humphrey, Prince Chinedum, James Datey, Yobor Sorae (George Riches, 76), Kye Munro (Riley Sykes, 70), Nikolay Zlatev, Brandon Dadson, Sisanda Maguranyanga (Samuel Gordon, 90+3).