Albion 5 Everton 0: Miah at the double as March gets minutes

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Albion secure stunning win in Premier League 2.

Matthew Bishop

2026-03-22T18:00+00:00

Tyler Silsby celebrates scoring during our 5-0 win over Everton. 📸 by Jeff Mood.

Our men’s under-21s beat Everton 5-0 in Premier League 2 on Sunday at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre.

A dominant display from Shannon Ruth’s side saw Miah Oriola score twice before late goals from Shane Nti, Joe Belmont and Tyler Silsby earned Albion a deserved three points.

Everton made a fast start and could have taken the lead inside four minutes, but after turning smartly inside the box Ceiran Loney saw his powerful shot cannon back off the post with Steven Hall stranded.

Albion responded almost immediately and after Harry Howell twisted and turned on the left-hand side, Silsby met the teenager’s deep cross with a thumping header but Douglas Lukjanciks did well to save.

Shannon Ruth’s side kept pushing for the opener and Oriola nearly found it in the 11th minute, but after a swift step-over and brilliant burst of pace, the winger dragged his shot across goal from ten yards.

Solly March got some minutes under his belt, as he played in the win over the Toffees. 📸 by Jeff Mood.

It was an end-to-end encounter with Everton next to go close, but Reece Welch fired wide from five yards - although he looked offside - before his central defensive partner, Joshua van Schoor scuffed a half-volley over.

This all happened inside the opening quarter of an hour and before the match even passed the 20 minute mark, Silsby smacked the post with a low drive that looked destined for the bottom corner.

Silsby went close again after Albion pressed high and Howell slipped the bleached blonde winger in down the right, but Lukjanciks turned his effort round the post for a corner.

From the resulting set-piece, Ben Barclay towered over the Toffees defence and headed towards goal, but Lukjanciks cleared with his feet, and then Oriola saw a curling shot well saved by the England under-19 keeper low to his left.

Oriola wasn’t to be denied though and Albion finally found the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time when Nti and Howell combined before the winger found the bottom corner from a tight angle.

Miah Oriola opened the scoring for Albion. 📸 by Jeff Mood.

It was the least Ruth’s side deserved and after Solly March replaced Josh Robertson at half-time, Albion began the second 45 in a similar fashion - although it started more quietly than the frantic first.

March almost made an immediate impact when Oriola raced to the byline and flashed the ball across the face of goal, but Welch hacked the ball clear with the Hailsham hero lurking behind Everton’s captain.

Oriola then doubled Albion’s lead on the hour when a clever pass from March released Charlie Tasker down the right, who showed great composure to pick his teammate out - and the 18-year-old hammered home first time.

Everton still posed a threat on the break and Hall had to be at his best to deny Shea Pita after the diminutive Welshman found himself unmarked in the box, but it was Albion who looked mostly likely to score next.

Freddie Simmonds nearly did that with 20 minutes to go, but stabbed March’s fantastic free-kick over the bar from nine yards, and then Silsby must have been wondering how his performance didn’t have the goal it deserved after curling another excellent effort just inches wide.

The visitors went close again through Jacob Beaumont-Clark, but Hall made another smart stop to preserve his clean sheet, and from there Albion saw the game out superbly before making it 3-0 with four minutes to go.

Shane Nti and Sean Keogh celebrate the former's goal. 📸 by Jeff Mood.

Nti was the goalscorer, arriving late on the edge of the box to smash home a neat cut-back from substitute Harry Mills but Ruth’s side still weren’t done.

As the game entered stoppage time, three became four for the Seagulls when March evaded his man and unselfishly squared to Silsby, who was denied again by Lukjanciks - but Belmont was in the right place at the right time to tap home the rebound.

Silsby was smiling in the celebrations but quite clearly couldn’t believe he still wasn’t on the scoresheet - but that changed seconds later when Belmont won the ball back from kick-off and set up his strike partner to round Lukjanciks and get the goal he richly deserved.

Five goals and three points for the Albion, which lifts Ruth’s side into the top ten of Premier League with play-off football on the horizon.

Albion: Hall, Tasker, Barclay, Simmonds (c), Keogh, Robertson (March 46), Mackley (Middleton 84), Silsby, Howell (Belmont 60), Oriola (Mills 84), Nti.