It was not only West Ham’s senior players who suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Sunday afternoon.
The Hammers lost 1-0 to Arsenal after VAR disallowed Callum Wilson’s injury-time equaliser.
However, less than an hour earlier, West Ham loanee Josh Landers dealt with an even bigger disappointment.
Landers’ Boreham Wood fell short in the National League play-off final against Rochdale at Wembley.
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Josh Landers loses National League play-off final with Boreham Wood
Landers joined Boreham Wood on loan two months ago, helping them to a fourth-place finish in the National League.
The Wood then beat Forest Green and Carlisle in the play-offs, setting up a final against league runners-up Rochdale.
Rochdale were heavy favourites to win the game, but they found themselves 2-0 down with 15 minutes to go.
Having already scored in the 78th minute, Rochdale’s dramatic 97th-minute equaliser took the match to extra time.
Wood manager Luke Garrard introduced Landers at the interval, and he had a decent chance to score in the final minutes.
The 19-year-old’s headed effort was not quite powerful enough to beat Manchester City loanee Oliver Whatmuff.
The final was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, with Rochdale winning 5-3 after Whatmuff saved two shots.
Landers did not take a penalty, although he could have taken Boreham Wood’s fifth if the shootout had gone that far.
The defeat marked a disappointing end to Landers’ first loan spell since joining West Ham from Hibernian in 2025.
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