Ruth: We deserved to beat Woking

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Shannon Ruth reflects on exit from competition.

Luke Nicoli

2025-11-26T11:20+00:00

Our men's under-21s were beaten in the penalty shootout after drawing 1-1 with Woking. 📷 by Simon Roe.

Men's under-21s' head coach Shannon Ruth felt a wrongly-awarded penalty decision cost his side a chance of progressing in the National League Cup.

Albion were heading for all three points at Woking last night – and a possible second-place finish in the group – thanks to a second-half Younes Ibrahim strike, but as the game ticked down towards 90 minutes, the midfielder was adjudged to have blocked a shot with his hands by referee Aaron Farmer, when the ball had clearly struck his face.

Josh Kelly netted the resulting spot kick for the Cards, leaving the Seagulls in fourth place and eliminated from the competition.

Shannon Ruth's team were eliminated from the National League Cup on Tuesday night. 📷 by Simon Roe.

“We’re really disappointed with the penalty decision,” said Ruth. “We’ve watched it back and the ball hits Younes’ face, so for a decision like that to take us out of the competition feels a bit harsh.

“Younes didn’t deserve that and now he thinks he’s cost us the game, but we certainly don’t see it that way. He scored a really good goal and has contributed heavily in the last four or five games for us.”

Albion netted a really well-worked goal, which was teed up by Charlie Tasker, while Jesse Middleton saw a 20-yard effort come crashing back off the woodwork. Ibrahim also had a chance to take all three points in the dying moments of injury time, only to be foiled by a fine save from Woking keeper Craig Ross.

Jesse Middleton struck the bar with an effort from 20 yards in the draw with Woking. 📷 by Simon Roe.

“A large part of me is delighted with the boys’ performance, given we also started the game with five scholars. For 65 minutes we played really well; we had lots of the ball, we had to be patient, and we could have got forced into making errors, which we didn’t.

“The lads were really mature and we scored a very good goal. I thought as long as we keep the ball for long periods we’d see the game out, and my only criticism was that from 65 minutes to 80, we didn’t have enough of the ball which allowed the opponent to get some momentum and belief.

“But they didn’t hurt us until the penalty that wasn’t a penalty. It feels like we didn’t get what we deserved from the game.”