Flower powers home late winner against Derby

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Albion move up to fifth in PL2.

Nick Szczepanik and Sam Hargrave

2023-09-29T20:45:00Z

Louis Flower scored his first goal for Albion in the win over Derby.

Louis Flower came off the bench to win the match for our men's under-21s against Derby in Premier League 2 on Friday night.

Shannon Ruth’s team had let a 2-0 half-time lead slip but Flower, who had replaced Mark O’Mahony after 76 minutes, saved the day with a 92nd minute volley. It was his first goal since joining the club from Chelsea at the end of the summer transfer window.

Jamie Mullins opened the scoring for Albion.

Luca Barrington had earlier set up first-half goals for Jamie Mullins and O’Mahony, who netted his seventh goal in six games in the competition.

Bottom-of-the table Derby have only one point from their six games so far, but it looked like being two when their substitute Alex Gibson-Hammond scored twice after the break to level the scores.

Former Albion midfield player Bradley Johnson, 36, now a Rams player coach, lined up for the home side, who were without a win in their five games in PL2 so far.

Samy Chouchane challenges for possession.

Albion took the lead after only 16 minutes when Barrington headed the ball across goal for Mullins to find the bottom corner of the net. 12 minutes later Barrington chipped the ball across goal from the right of the penalty area and O’Mahony made no mistake at the far post.

But the entrance of Gibson-Hammond after 73 minutes changed the game. He pulled one back with a rocket shot - his first touch of the ball - within a minute of taking the field and equalised with a header after 83 minutes.

Ben Jackson slides in on a Derby player.

And Albion had the crossbar to thank for preventing Gibson-Hammond from completing his hat-trick before Ben Jackson headed down Barrington's corner and Flower's volley found the top corner.

Albion have now won four of their six games in Premier League two and move up to fifth place in the 26-team table, level on points with fourth-placed Arsenal.

Albion: Cahill; McConville (Nilsson 76), Jackson, Kavanagh, Slater; Hinchy, Chouchane; Mullins (Peart 69), Baker-Boaitey (Ifill 79), Barrington; O’Mahony (Flower 76).