Match Reports

U23 Report: Albion 5 West Bromwich Albion 1

By Kieran Cleeves • 09 April 2018

  • Albion seal an emphatic 5-1 victory over the Baggies
  • Viktor Gyokeres and Uwe Huenemeier score before half-time
  • Henrik Bjordal, Alex Palmer (OG) and Max Sanders make it 5-0
  • Robbie McCourt fires late consolation for the visitors

Brighton & Hove Albion’s under-23s moved into third position in the Premier League 2 Division 2, following a stunning display against West Bromwich Albion, as they secured a 5-1 victory at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre.

The Seagulls showed attacking prowess from the off and goals from Viktor Gyokeres, Uwe Huenemeier, Henrik Bjordal and Max Sanders led Simon Rusk’s team to an emphatic win.

Alex Palmer’s own goal added to Albion’s lead, before the Baggies scored a late consolation on the south coast - as the Seagulls stretched their unbeaten league record to six matches.

Rusk introduced four first-team players to the starting line-up in Lancing, as Niki Maenpaa, Jiri Skalak, Sam Baldock and Huenemeier all contributed towards an encouraging performance.

Albion’s first opportunity of the game fell to Baldock inside the opening ten minutes, but the striker’s low-driven effort lacked the accuracy needed to beat Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer, who made a routine stop.

Baldock continued to cause problems, as his energy in the final third kept the visitors’ defence busy at all times - but the striker’s right-footed effort from Steve Alzate’s lay-off dropped just wide of the target.

The Baggies continued to ride their luck when Nathan Ferguson came to his team’s rescue, clearing Baldock’s back-post header off the goal line - but Albion’s constant pressure reaped its reward in the 28th minute.

Gyokeres received the ball in space and took aim at goal from 25 yards - and the Swede couldn’t have struck the ball any sweeter, as he watched his curling effort find the top corner to break the deadlock.

Nacer Chadli went in search of a response for the visitors, but his dipping free-kick from 30 yards dropped just over the crossbar - and just four minutes later, in the 39th minute, Albion’s advantage was increased.

Danny Mandroiu floated a corner to the middle of the penalty area, and there was Huenemeier to connect with a powerful header which flew past Palmer to give the Seagulls a much-deserved 2-0 lead at the break.

Rusk’s team returned for the second half and Alzate found himself on the end of a slick passing move, but after Gyokeres squared inside for his team-mate, the midfielder’s fizzing effort ended up in the hands of Palmer.

The move of the match played out in the 69th minute, and this time the ball ended up in the back of the net, as Bjordal played a delightful one-two with Sanders, following a string of Albion passes, before cooly finishing from close range.

Nine minutes later it was 4-0 when Skalak’s fierce effort from inside the penalty area took a massive deflection into the air, and with Palmer backtracking, the goalkeeper could only palm the ball into his own goal.

The Baggies were clearly deflated and Albion’s fifth goal of the contest came within the next 60 seconds - Sanders arrived in time to meet Baldock’s perfectly-weighted cross with a bullet header to make it 5-0.

The goals continued to flow, but unfortunately for Rusk’s side, their clean sheet disappeared when substitute McCourt headed home at the back post to reduce the deficit to four goals.

The Seagulls pushed for another in the closing stages, but the referee called time on the contest and Albion moved up to third in the Premier League 2 Division 2 - five points clear of sixth-placed Fulham.

ALBION: Maenpaa; Moore, Dallison, Huenemeier, Cox; Alzate, Sanders (Tilley 82), Mandroiu (Connolly 74), Skalak; Gyokeres (Bjordal 61), Baldock.

Subs not used: Sanchez (GK), Barclay.