- Albion lose 4-0 to Leicester City
- Two goals in either half seal the win for the Foxes
- Carl Rushworth sent off before the break
- Under-23s travel to Manchester City next Saturday
Albion's five-match unbeaten start to the Premier League 2 season was ended by a ruthless Leicester side at the American Express Elite Performance Centre on Friday night.
Simon Rusk's side could have gone top of the table but instead found themselves 2-0 down at the break and down to ten men after goalkeeper Carl Rushworth was shown a straight red card.
Two goals early in the second half ensured there was no way back for Albion, who must regroup before their next game on 6th November at home to Manchester United.
Albion started on the front foot with Romaric Yapi and Peter Gwargis posing a threat down the right with their pace. Yapi's cross picked out Ulrick Eneme but the striker's side-footer failed to test Jakub Stolarszyk and it was Leicester who broke the deadlock with their first attack after 14 minutes.
Albion had a couple of chances to clear Vontae Daley-Campbell’s cut-back on the right but failed to do so and Jake Wakeling found just enough space in a crowded six-yard box to slide the ball under Rushworth and into the net.
Gwargis hit the side netting after cutting in from the right but while Albion had plenty of possession their final ball lacked quality on too many occasions. Leicester were content to funnel men back at the first hint of danger and counter-attack and they did so again to double their lead in the 43rd minute.
Defender Antef Tsoungui failed to cut out a pass aimed at Wakeling and he raced into the box before beating Rushworth with a shot which took a deflection off Lars Dendoncker and left the keeper wrong-footed.
It got worse for Albion moments before the break. Dendoncker was dispossessed in the centre circle, Wakeling was put through and as he rounded Rushworth the keeper clipped him. There was not much contact but enough to make it a straightforward decision for referee Robert Ellis-Massey to show the keeper a straight red.
Any hopes of a comeback by the ten men were extinguished within five minutes of the re-start when Leicester scored twice against the ten men.
Yapi was dispossessed, Leicester broke and Tyrese Shade played in skipper Callum Wright, who shook off one challenge before firing past substitute keeper Roco Rees into the bottom corner in the 48th minute.
It was 4-0 two minutes later with Shade on target this time, when he beat Rees with a powerful shot after racing into space from the left-hand corner of the penalty area.
Tsoungui had to head Sidnei Tavares’ shot off the line and Darragh O’Connor headed over from point-blank range as the Foxes hunted more goals with Albion grateful not to suffer more damage to their goal difference on a tough night.
Their best chance of a consolation coming when Tsoungui headed Gwargis's corner wide from close range late on.
Albion: Rushworth, Yapi (Packham 60), Tanimowo, Leonard (Rees 44), Dendoncker, Tsoungui, Gwargis, Weir, Eneme, Jenks, Izquierdo (Crofts 45).
Subs not used: Khadra. Vukoje.