Men's under-21s start season with victory over Millwall

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Nick Szczepanik

2026-08-14T21:00+01:00

George Munday put Albion on their way to a 2-0 win over Millwall in the Premier League Cup. 📷James Boardman

Albion under-21s won their first competitive match of the season, beating a feisty Millwall side 2-0 in the group stage of the Premier League Cup.

George Munday opened his Albion account with the first goal after nine minutes, and Younes Ibrahim nodded the second eight minutes from time. It was a hard-fought encounter but Albion had the cutting edge when it counted.

The Albion squad included seven players who signed their first professional contracts in July. Liam Crutchett, Tate Ferdinand, Younes Ibrahim, Munday and Theo Outen started, while Sebastian Ademola and Adam Brett were on the bench.

Albion took the lead when former Cambridge United striker Munday finished off a superb move down the left with a low shot through the legs of Lions goalkeeper George Evans. It had started with Ferdinand at the back and continued via one-touch passes from Crutchett, Miah Oriola and Kofi Shaw.

Ferdinand, though, had to block a shot from Sacha Tsugita as Millwall looked for a quick reply, and Steven Hall threw himself to his right to palm away Lloyd Ofori’s header from the resulting corner.

Millwall were seeing more of the ball than Albion, but the visitors were nearly caught on the break in the 26th minute. Again, the passing was quick and crisp, but when the final ball arrived at the feet of Oriola at the far post, he elected to look for a blue shirt instead of shooting and his pass was intercepted.

Younes Ibrahim wins the ball back. 📷James Boardman

Shaw blazed the ball across goal when a more considered pass might have been called for. Then Munday could not keep his first-time shot down at the far post after Younes Ibrahim and Tyler Silsby had opened up Millwall down the right. But Hall had to be alert at the other end when Ajay Matthews tried to catch him out at his near post with a vicious swerving shot.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with the Londoners enjoying more possession, and Ferdinand did well to block as Millwall’s Caleb Redhead lined up a shot.

The introduction of Josh Robertson as a substitute ensured that Albion kept the ball better and it paid off when Crutchett crossed for Ibrahim to send a looping header goalwards, Evans just failing to keep it out.

Albion now visit Northampton Town in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday. Our next match in the League Cup is away to West Ham on Friday 4 September.

Albion: Hall; Outen, Simmonds (sub: Ademola 70) , Ferdinand, Crutchett; Ibrahim, Nti (Robertson 58); Silsby, Shaw, Oriola (Brett 45, Lane 68); Munday (Mackley 70).