Albion out of Premier League Cup

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Charlie Hanson

2025-02-04T21:02+00:00

Harry Mills looks to get down the flank. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Our men's under-21s were knocked out of the Premier League Cup as they were beaten 3-0 by Luton Town on Tuesday night.

A relatively quiet first half saw Harry Mills head wide from Harry Howell’s right wing cross, before the England Under-17s’s free-kick on the edge of the box was flapped at by keeper Liam Coyne, with the ball flying narrowly to the right of goal.

Callum Mackley’s drive after half an hour from 18 yards was deflected wide, while at the other end Jack Lorentzen-Jones’s free-kick flew a yard the wrong side of Hugo Fisher’s goal just before the break.

Shannon Ruth gives his team instructions from the touchline. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Half-time team talks livened both sides up in the second half as Remiero Moulton blazed over from the edge of the box shortly after restart.

But it was the Hatters wasted the first glorious chance of the game with 55 minutes played as Joshua Phillips danced through the Albion defence before appearing to slot into the bottom corner, but the home fans' cheers were short-lived as he'd actually hit the outside of the side netting.

Luton made amends on the hour mark though as Dylan Stitt claimed to have got the final touch on Phillips's low cross into the six-yard box to put them in front.

Albion were denied a penalty for a handball on the line. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Phillips then ensured the Hatters would be reaching the knockout stage of the competition when he fired in from close range with five minutes to go.

There was late controversy as Albion were denied a clear penalty as defender Chris Makosso blocked a shot with outstretched arms inside the six-yard box, but it was missed by the referee.

Ten minutes of additional time gave Shannon Ruth's team belief that they could still get something from the game and they went close to halving the deficit when Callum Mackley's header was cleared off the line.

Callum Mackley's header was cleared off the line. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

But that belief was crushed in the sixth minute of added time when Charlie Penman was adjudged to have brought down substitute Tate Xavier-Jones in the box. The Luton striker got up and took the spot kick, burying it in the bottom left corner.