Minteh double as Albion draw with Southampton

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Pre-season friendly at St Mary's finishes 2-2.

Bruce Talbot

2025-08-02T17:20+01:00

Yankuba Minteh scores Albion's opening goal against Southampton. 📷 by James Boardman

Yankuba Minteh scored twice as Albion remained unbeaten in pre-season after sharing four goals with Southampton in an entertaining 2-2 draw at St Mary’s.

Minteh’s two well-taken goals either side of the break looked to have sealed a comfortable win for Albion, who had other chances to extend their lead.

But Jay Robinson's goal gave Southampton fresh heart and they drew level through Adam Armstrong’s penalty.

Albion had made most of the early running. Diego Gomez’s fourth-minute shot drew a good save from Gavin Bazunu before Mats Wieffer found some space at the back post to meet Yasin Ayari’s corner and Bazunu was again forced to save.

Georginio Rutter bursts forward at St Mary's 📷 by James Boardman

Skipper Lewis Dunk then spotted Bazunu off his line but his shot from inside his own half landed on the roof of the net.

Joshua Quarshie should have done better with a free header at the other end but Albion’s pressure was rewarded with the opener on 25 minutes. Dunk, Max De Cuyper and Georginio Rutter were all involved and when Rutter teed up Minteh he curled his left-foot shot inside the far post.

Minteh was a constant threat down the right and he should have scored again seven minutes later with only Bazunu to beat but unselfishly he elected to tee up Mitoma, who stumbled at the crucial moment allowing Saints to clear.

Yankuba Minteh celebrates in front of the Albion fans after scoring his second goal. 📷 by James Boardman.

There was little change in the second half with Matt O’Riley increasingly influential. He tip-toed through the Saints’ defence but his cut-back for Rutter was cleared. The midfielder’s next effort was deflected for a corner which Jan Paul van Hecke met with a thumping header. Bazunu flung himself to his left to save acrobatically.

Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke talk tactics at an Albion corner. 📷 by James Boardman

A second Albion goal finally arrived in the 65th minute. O’Riley and Ayari combined and Minteh produced a replica of his first-half finish by guiding the ball inside far post from the right-hand corner of the six-yard box.

Albion appeared to be in total control – but Saints hit back with two goals in four minutes. Substitute Jay Robinson’s curling effort in the 68th minute took a hefty deflection off Lewis Dunk and crept inside the far post. Moses Sesay was then brought down in the box and despite Albion protests the referee awarded a penalty which Armstrong drilled just out of Jason Steele’s reach.

Fabian Hurzler gave minutes to seven of his substitutes in the closing stages at the end of a productive day, which had started with a 1-0 win over Saints behind closed doors. The pre-season campaign finishes next Saturday when Wolfsburg visit the Amex.

Maxim De Cuyper challenges Saints' Joshua Quarshie. 📷 by James Boardman

The line-up

Steele, De Cuyper (Slater 85), Dunk (Penman 85), van Hecke, Wieffer (Tasker 85), Ayari, Gomez (Moran 79), Mitoma (Oriola 79), Minteh (Howell 65), O’Riley, Rutter (Sima 79). Subs not used: Ramming, Doyle, Albarus, Atom.