Chester-le-Street Town Juniors finally bowed out of the FA Youth Cup when they narrowly lost at West Ham United earlier this week, but the Cestrians' manager was full of pride and heaped praise on his team after giving the Hammers a tough game.

Having inflicted Cup shocks on three League sides en route to Monday evening's big match the Cestrians fell at the fourth round stage in front of almost 1,000 fans after conceding two second half goals.

Manager Andrew Muxworthy said: "My players can be so proud of themselves and each other after this. They have set new North-East records for a non-league side playing in the competition by some margin and were close to reaching the last 16.

"Alan Pardew, West Ham's first-team manager, said after the game that we had given their Academy side their hardest match of the season. That is some compliment to Chester-le-Street's players.

"It makes me so proud of them all, it really does."

Chester-le-Street were one of only two teams from non-league clubs left in the competition having played their first game in this year's competition at the first qualifying round stage way back in September and Monday's game was their seventh in the FA Youth Cup.

Hammers Director of Youth Tony Carr said: "Before they played us they played six ties and I said to their coach before the game I hope we play six because it will probably mean we have won it."

After successfully negotiating their way past three fellow non-league sides at the qualifying stage the Cestrians knocked out three League clubs with wins over Hartlepool, Port Vale and Derby County earning Muxworthy's side a trip to Upton Park.

On a bitterly cold evening the tie was close-run affair, particularly in the first half when some hard running and timely tackles from the Cestrians kept West Ham on their toes. Two Hammers efforts, from Kyle Reid and Tony Stokes, did strike the bar and post respectively but Chester-le-Street had their chances too with Robbie Houghton's low shot through a crowd of players diverted round a post by Matthew Reed in goal.

Shortly after the break, with the result very much in the balance, Hammers scored as Reid volleyed a mis-timed clearance high into an unguarded Chester-le-Street net.

Muxworthy's men didn't let their heads drop and they came close to fashioning an equaliser on three or four occasions. Martin Urwin, a 66th minute substitute, had two chances in quick succession but both stabs at the ball were blocked by West Ham defenders.

The second Hammers goal settled matters when it arrived on 81 minutes. Winger Sam Wright forced a corner on the right and was sent flying into an advertising hoarding for his pains. As the ball came across a group of players on the goal-line stretched for it, and Darren Blewitt's head got there before the keeper's fist.

Carr said: "It was a good all round display against good opposition who have had a fantastic adventure. They were a strong, tough, organised team who would give anyone a tough game."

Muxworthy said his team didn't quite meet the standards set in previous games. "Nobody played badly on our side though some of the players would hold their hands up and say they could have played better," he said.

"For us I thought we competed very bravely and strongly and gave as much to the game as West Ham in making it an occasion to remember. I thought Gavin Stoker did exceptionally well at full-back for us given the tremendous problems Reid was causing our team.

"Robbie Houghton was solid and Steven Richardson outstanding, and Andy Bulford upfront was tireless with his workrate.

"I felt we lost the momentum of the cup run. When the competition started in August we played a game every three weeks. After the game at the beginning of December against Derby County we had to wait two months for another fixture in the competition. The important thing however, was that their commitment to the task was first class for 90 minutes. That is what I ask for."

West Ham: Reed, Henry, Bunce, Parrington, Blewitt, Noble, S Wright (Brady), Cohen, Stokes (Ephraim), Yao, Reid (Collington). Subs not used: Behcet, L Wright, Allen, Singh.

Chester-le-Street: Connell, Stoker, R Draper, Houghton, Jones (Clough), Curry, Taylor, Richardson, Laws, Bulford, Glazinski (Urwin). Subs not used: Wadge, Clayton, Watson, G Draper, Nevins.

Attendance: 935.