Report: FK Jablonek 0 Albion 0

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Albion have to settle for a point in their second league phase match in the UEFA Conference League.

Bruce Talbot

2026-10-22T19:40+01:00

Costinha missed this free header from Pascal Gross's corner. 📷James Boardman

Albion stretched their unbeaten run to eight games but had to settle for a point in their second league stage match in the UEFA Conference League.

Their assignment in northern Czechia was every bit as testing as Fabian Hurzeler had expected in his 100th game in charge.

Albion had 79% possession and 23 shots but the final action wasn’t what we’ve come to expect from Hurzler’s free-scoring team with only five of those on target.

And the closing stages were very much like August’s assignment in Tromso with the home side squandering good chances on the break.

Albion soon took control but just like at the Amex a week ago the opposition’s low block proved hard to break down.

Jack Hinshelwood and skipper Pascal Gross had early sighters and Ibrahim Osman was a yard off target after cutting in off the left and aiming for the far post.

When goalkeeper Jan Hanus missed Gross’s corner any sort of contact by Costinha, lurking at the far post, would have brought a goal but the defender missed his header.

Jaouen Hadjam tries to go past his marker. 📷James Boardman

Jablonek escaped from their defensive shell when Matej Polidar met Slama’s cross with a near-post flick straight at Bart Verbruggen before Antonin Rusek headed a corner in front of the Albion fans.

Georginio was Albion’s main threat with his pace, strength and movement. One lovely turn onto Gross’s flick gave him space but he shot straight at Hanus.

Moments later Rutter shrugged off two defenders but this time his right-foot effort flew wide of the far post.

Jack Hinshelwood goes close in the first half. 📷James Boardman

Albion noticeably upped the tempo at the start of the second half and Malick Yalcouye thought he’d broken the deadlock but was marginally offside as he converted Gross’s through ball.

Osman combined superbly with O’Riley but there was no one in an Albion shirt to convert his ball across the face of goal.

It was turning into a frustrating night. Osman did well to skip past two challenges but the shot that followed sailed into the Albion fans.

In the closing stages Jablonec sensed the chance to punish Albion on the break.

The Albion line-up before kick-off in Jablonec. 📷James Boardman

Rusek only had Verbruggen to beat but lifted his shot tamely into the keeper’s hands before a break down the left ended with Verbruggen having to turn Slama’s effort from the edge of the box over at full stretch.

Vakhtang Tchanturishvili burst into the box but shot straight at Verbruggen and eight minutes from time substitute Dominik Holly did beat Verbruggen, but his shot clipped the top of the crossbar.

There was one last push by Albion and Georginio’s powerful effort was blocked but it was Jablonec celebrating at the end.

Albion: Verbruggen, Costinha, Hadjam (Kadioglu 86), Boscagli (Vuskovic 68), Svoboda, Yalcouye, Hinshelwood (David 68), Gross (Ayari 68), Osman, Rutter, O’Riley (Chema 68).