City strike late to beat Albion

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Charlie Hanson

2025-01-13T21:00+00:00

Cam Peupion headed in from Harry Howell's cross. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Our men's under-21s suffered a late defeat as they were beaten 2-1 at Premier League 2 leaders Manchester City on Monday night.

Farid Alfa-Ruprecht put the hosts in front after 14 minutes with a deflected strike before Cam Peupion equalised a minute after the restart. City and Sebastian Naylor would have the final say though, as the hosts benefitted from another Albion deflection to find the back of the net in the final moments.

Peupion had the first chance of the game as he looked to add his ten-goal haul for the season when he met Caylan Vickers’s ball into the box on the volley, but he rifled wide from 12-yards.

Caylan Vickers saw his cross headed over by Harry Howell in the first half. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion were immediately punished for not taking the opportunity as Farid Alfa-Ruprecht cut in from the right and although initially it looked like Hugo Fisher would save, Charlie Penman’s attempt to block the strike took it past the goalkeeper. It was just the ninth goal Albion have conceded in 11 PL2 games this season.

Albion went close to an equaliser after Harry Howell got his head on the end of Vickers’s left-wing cross, but he couldn’t direct it goalwards.

With six minutes of the first half to play Marcus Ifill went close to scoring one of the finest individual goals you’re likely to see. Receiving possession on the left of the halfway line, he darted down the middle before racing into the box and bending an effort just the wrong side of the bottom right corner.

Cam Peupion's equaliser took his tally to 11 goal for the under-21s this season. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion’s efforts were finally rewarded 61 seconds after the restart. Harry Howell got down the left flank, lifted a cross to the edge of the City six-yard box and a superb leap from Peupion ensured the Aussie was able to head home to make it 1-1 at the Joie Stadium.

Shannon Ruth's team had found their groove and should have taken the lead when Jacob Slater's back-stick header back across the goal was poked goalwards by Vickers, but Stephen Mfuni cleared off the line to keep his side on level terms.

City Substitute Justin Oboavwoduo looked to respond for the hosts as he wrapped his effort from the right of the box into the side-netting before Emilio Lawrence played a one-two before angling a drive at goal, but Freddie Simmonds got his body in the way as a search for the winner reached boiling point.

Harry Howell saw his strike blocked behind for a corner. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Peupion tried to turn provider as he chopped past his marker in the box before teeing up Howell, although Mfuni was there to rescue City again as he blocked the 16-year-old's side-footed strike.

As the fourth official's board signalled six minutes of additional time, City were down to ten men. Jaden Heskey - son of former England international Emile - received a second yellow card for a late tackle on Joe Knight.

City keeper Oliver Whatmuff was kept busy in the final stages, but all the shots on his goal flew directly into his gloves.

Then came the twist. With Albion flying forward looking for a winner, City countered. It ended with Naylor's strike taking a deflection off substitute Callum Mackley and finding the back of the Albion net.

The late drama didn't end there as City had another man sent off, this time skipper Jacob Wright was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Knight. There wasn't enough time on the clock for Albion to muster a meaningful attack though, with City edging an exciting game in Premier League 2.

The Albion team: Fisher, Albarus, Simmonds, Penman (Mackley 70), Slater, Peupion, Knight, Mullins (Moulton 85), Ifill (Robertson 85), Howell, Vickers.