Two in two for under-21s after Birmingham City are beaten

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Shannon Ruth's side follow up win against Wolves with 3-2 success on Sunday in PL2.

Nick Szczepanik

2026-02-22T18:15+00:00

Aidan West gets Albion's third goal in their 3-2 win over Birmingham City with this left-foot shot. 📷James Boardman.

Albion made it two Premier League 2 wins in a row with a 3-2 victory over Birmingham City at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre that was never quite as comfortable as it might have been.

Callum Mackley headed Shannon Ruth’s team in front after 13 minutes. Zaid Betteka levelled 14 minutes later but Joe Belmont restored Albion’s lead before half-time. Aidan West scored the goal of the game after 76 minutes, his first at this level, but Louie Rea’s header in the fourth minute of added time gave the home side some late nerves.

Blues arrived in Lancing without a win since October, their best result in 2026 a 1-1 draw at home to local rivals Aston Villa.

Three and easy: Sean Keogh and Aidan West congratulate Joe Belmont (centre) after he scored Albion's second goal. 📷 James Boardman

Albion had won 2-1 away to Wolves in their previous game thanks to two strikes from Miah Oriola, a first-half penalty and an 89th-minute decider. And he was unlucky not grab a couple more here.

However, it was the visitors who mounted the first serious threat on goal after 12 minutes. Referee Sam Mulhall ruled that Betteka had been tripped as he shaped to shoot from 25 yards, and his fiercely driven effort from the free kick was fingertipped over the bar by Steven Hall.

But within seconds Albion were ahead. Following a quickly-taken corner on the left, skipper Charlie Tasker sent a high cross to the far post where Charlie Penman nodded the ball back across goal for Callum Mackley to head in from close range.

Sean Keogh is the launchpad as Birmingham go aerial. 📷 James Boardman

Oriola, who made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in the 3-0 victory over Leeds United in November, looked to double the lead soon afterwards but his angled shot was deflected wide. At the other end Hall was quickly off his line to deny Alezandro da Silva.

Penman thought he had extended the advantage in the 22nd minute when he escaped his marker to head in from Oriola’s corner from the right but referee Mulhall had spotted a foul on City’s Caleb Sanders.

Instead it was 1-1 after 27 minutes when a defensive mix-up on the halfway line allowed Betteka to run clear and beat Hall with a well-placed shot.

But Albion restored their lead in the 34th minute when Sean Keogh cut inside from the left and shaped to shoot from 22 yards but instead played a clever pass into the run of Belmont, who slipped the ball past goalkeeper Will O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan did better two minutes later, diving to his right to push away another fierce shot from Oriola.

But Birmingham were far from finished and Harry Mills had to clear off the line from the dangerous Betteka.

Aidan West is congratulated by his teammates after stretching Albion's advantage. 📷James Boardman.

Albion had a good chance to make it 3-1 seven minutes after the restart when Penman headed Oriola’s free kick across goal but West’s touch lacked the necessary power to beat O’Sullivan.

That was far from the case, though, when he scored Albion’s third, charging forward before unleashing a rocket shot with his left foot that screamed past O’Sullivan, smacked down off the crossbar and still had enough force to billow the roof of the net.

Blues had the final word as defender Rea’s header from a corner looped into the top corner with Albion mere spectators.