Ella grabs late goal as Albion hold leaders

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Super-sub Elrick earns under-23s a point against Manchester City

Bruce Talbot

2021-10-29T20:00:00Z

Ulrick Ella twice went close against Eastbourne Borough.

Ulrick Ella came off the bench to grab a stoppage-time equaliser as Albion drew 1-1 with leaders Manchester City in Premier League 2 on Friday.

Ella applied the far-post finish to reward Albion’s perseverance and maintain their unbeaten home record after Nico O’Reilly’s close-range finish early on looked as if it would be the only goal at the American Express Elite Performance Centre.

The kick off had to be put back 30 minutes because City were delayed in traffic but they made up for lost time with a goal after four minutes.

Lorent Tolaj found the bottom right corner from Todd Miller's cross.

Kayky cut in from the right and although Tom McGill parried his shot the City midfielder squared it across the face of goal and gave O’Reilly a tap-in.

Albion nearly conjured up an immediate response when Jack Spong’s low shot from 20 yards was saved but it was a rare threat by the hosts in the first half.

Albion did manage to break City’s press on occasion, but they were also guilty of squandering possession and the leaders could have extended their lead before the break.

Mark Leonard breaks forward

Kayky cut inside James Furlong to force a save from McGill then their playmaker James McAtee picked out Oscar Bobb who shot straight at McGill when anything either side of him would have gone in. Romeo Lavia also dragged an effort wide from a good position for the visitors.

City looked the more threatening at the start of the second half, with Bobb curling a right foot shot just wide of McGill’s right-hand post after a good spell of pressure.

Albion stayed in the game though and Spong wasn’t far away from equalising in the 73rd minute when he whipped a free kick from the right-hand corner of the box narrowly over the target.

Andrew Moran tussles for possession.

Cam Peupion’s arrival off the bench sparked the hosts and Ella made his first appearance of the season in the closing stages as Albion looked for a way through. Set pieces seemed to be their best hope and Lorent Tolaj couldn’t direct his header under the bar after Spong’s free kick picked him out.

It looked like time had run out for Albion but in the 90th minute Ed Turns drove a cross in from the left which Tolaj flicked on and Ella prodded the ball past Mikki Van Sas.

They left it late but it was no more than Albion deserved.

Albion: McGill, Offiah, Tsoungui, Turns, Packham (Peupion 68), Leonard, Spong, Furlong, Moran (Hinchy 78), Tolaj, Ferguson (Ella 81). Subs not used: Miller, Desbois.

Booked: Tsoungui, Offiah