What is the National League Cup? Competition explained as West Ham U21s face Boreham Wood in final

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West Ham Under-21s will play against Boreham Wood in the National League Cup final on Tuesday.

The Hammers have made it past three stages of the competition to reach the final, which will be played at Boreham Wood’s stadium.

There have been many top performers throughout the campaign, including striker Josh Ajala and full-back Ryan Battrum.

Hammers News now explains how the competition works ahead of West Ham’s chance to win a trophy in the final.

• READ MORE: Nuno Espirito Santo’s greatest West Ham triumph proves how much has changed since Graham Potter

West Ham’s U21s can win a trophy on Tuesday! 🏆 🍾

What would silverware mean for our academy?

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How does the National League Cup work?

The National League Cup consists of 32 teams: 16 under-21 sides and 16 National League clubs.

The under-21 teams are from either Premier League or Championship clubs, such as West Ham, Newcastle and Leeds.

The group stage features four groups of eight teams (four U21s and four National League clubs) and each team plays four games.

Every fixture is between a National League club and an academy and takes place at the former’s stadium.

The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-final and every game is decided by penalties after 90 minutes.

West Ham U21s route to National League Cup final

West Ham U21s have gone unbeaten en route to the National League Cup final, winning all but one game (Sutton) in normal time.

Their biggest margin of victory came in a 5-1 win against Aldershot Town before Christmas.

The Hammers beat Boston United and Tamworth in the knockout stages, setting up a final against local club Boreham Wood.