Under-18s come from behind to progress in Cup

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Carl Martin's side trailed until the 88th minute before beating Stoke City 3-1.

2026-11-09T09:45+00:00

Brook Smith, who scored in the 3-1 win, breaks forward against Stoke City. 📷Simon Roe.

Albion men’s under-18s beat Stoke City 3-1 to ensure they qualified for the next stage of the Premier League Cup as group winners.

It was a late show by Carl Martin’s side, who scored three goals in the last ten minutes after falling behind in the fifth minute to Isreal Kelly’s goal.

Jacob Parsons levelled in the 84th minute and Albion struck twice in stoppage time through Josh McWilliams’ own goal and Brook Smith.

Coach Carl Martin said: “It was another really pleasing result and a performance the players can take a lot of positives from, particularly the character they showed to come from behind.

After conceding an early goal, I thought we responded well in the first half. We dominated possession, created really good opportunities and showed a real intent to get ourselves back into the game. There were moments where we could have shown more patience and made better decisions in possession, but overall there was plenty to be encouraged by.

Fraser Widdop's late goal earned Albion a 2-1 win over Brentford. 📷Simon Roe

As the second half went on, we continued to create chances without finding the breakthrough. It would have been easy for the players to become frustrated or lose belief, but they stayed on the front foot, kept working and eventually got their rewards.”

Victory completed a good week for the under-18s, who had won 2-1 at Brentford on Tuesday in a league match thanks to goals from Parsons and Fraser Widdop, who struck the winner in the 88th minute.

“That’s now two games here we’ve found a way to win late on. It says a lot about the character, belief and determination developing within the group,” added Martin.

Brook Smith, who scored in the 3-1 win, breaks forward against Stoke City. 📷Simon Roe.

One of the most pleasing aspects of our recent performances has been the level of competition within the squad. We’ve been able to rotate the team, give different players opportunities and continue to see positive contributions from everyone, whether starting or coming off the bench.

“We’re making really good progress as a group, and learning to win in different ways is an important part of their development. There’s still plenty for us to improve, particularly around our decision-making and recognising what the game needs at different moments, but the attitude, togetherness and willingness to compete have been excellent.”