Albion 4 Wycombe 1: Pre-season starts with comfortable win

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Babis Kostoulas, Ibrahim Osman and Georginio Rutter were all on the scoresheet.

Matthew Bishop

2026-07-18T16:00+01:00

Georginio headed in late on to complete the win. 📸 by James Boardman.

Albion beat League One Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 in their first pre-season friendly of the summer on Saturday.

Two smart finishes from Babis Kostoulas and an overhead kick from Ibrahim Osman in the first half, before Georginio Rutter’s late header, eased Albion to victory at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre as their preparations for the new season stepped up a gear.

Pascal Struijk, who arrived from Leeds in June, played his first 45 minutes for the club at the heart of Fabian Hurzeler’s defence alongside Freddie Simmonds, while Harry Howell partnered Carlos Baleba in the middle of midfield.

Elsewhere, Danny Welbeck was alongside Kostoulas up front with Yankuba Minteh and Osman on either flank, while Sean Keogh and Charlie Tasker were behind them as full-backs and Tom McGill was in goal.

Ibrahim Osman's spectacular effort put Albion 3-0 up. 📸 by James Boardman.

Struijk played his part in Albion’s opener, curling a fantastic pass into the left channel which Minteh raced onto before teeing up Kostoulas, who calmly slotted his finish into the bottom corner from 18 yards after 15 minutes.

The Greek striker doubled Albion’s lead ten minutes later, tapping home from inside the six-yard box after a neat Albion move ended with Osman making a darting run into the penalty area and putting it on a plate for Babis.

Welbeck was denied what looked like a certain third when Wycombe goalkeeper Matt Macey pulled off a superb low save but Osman did make it three in the 35th minute, spectacularly turning Keogh’s cross into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

Wycombe responded with a goal of their own moments before the break when Dan Harvie headed home from Fred Onyedinma’s inswinging free-kick but that was their only clear chance in either half.

Ibrahim Osman's acrobatic finish was a highlight of the first half. 📸 by James Boardman.

Albion made eleven changes at the break with Georginio leading the line, Amario Cozier-Duberry on the right and Tommy Watson on the left for the second half.

Jack Hinshelwood, Malick Yalcouye and Kamari Doyle made up a midfield three while from left to right, Eiran Cashin, Olivier Boscagli, Ben Barclay and Jesse Middleton were in defence with Steven Hall behind them in goal.

Cashin went close twice at the start of the half but couldn’t quite convert Cozier-Duberry’s deep crosses, before the lively winger who spent last season impressing at Bolton Wanderers jinxed into the area and hammered an effort towards goal that clattered the crossbar before flying clear.

Olivier Boscagli and Georginio Rutter combined late on to make it 4-1. 📸 by James Boardman.

Yalcouye then powered a speculative effort over from 25 yards before Albion finally had their fourth ten minutes from time when a piece of fantastic French connection saw Boscagli maraud forwards and whip a cross towards the back post, which Georginio met with a powerful header that flew into the top corner.

Albion are next in pre-season action on Saturday 25 July when they play Ligue 2 side FC Annecy as part of the private pre-season training camp in France.