- Albion seal an emphatic 4-0 win over Swansea City
- Hayden Roberts and Mamadou Kone open the scoring
- Bojan Radulovic bags a second-half brace
- The Seagulls play host to Southampton on Saturday
Brighton & Hove Albion's under-18s ran out convincing 4-0 winners against Swansea City on Wednesday at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre.
First-half goals from Hayden Roberts and Mamadou Kone were added to by Bojan Radulovic’s second-half brace, as Mikey Harris and Mark Beard's team made it back-to-back victories in the Under-18 Premier League South.
Albion began on the front foot and Stefan Ljubicic’s switch to Ryan Longman freed the midfielder on the left-hand side. The wideman cut in and saw his shot at goal scrambled away before Hayden Roberts also went close on the follow up.
Swansea's first chance of the game saw Dan Williams’s fierce effort well saved by Albion goalkeeper and captain Tom McGill, before the home side took the lead minutes later.
Cameron Tutt’s well-weighted through-ball found the dangerous Longman in-behind, and Roberts met the cutback to rifle the ball into the top corner and give the home side the advantage.
The Seagulls continued to look threatening in wide areas, and doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark.
An intelligent piece of play between Radulovic and Kone saw the latter bear down on goal and calmly finish inside the near post.
The hosts maintained good shape and organisation, with the away side having to go long and surrendering possession on a numerous occasions.
Kone went close twice more before the end of the first period, when he saw a shot blocked from close range and then fired into the side-netting on the stroke of half-time.
A quieter start to the second period followed, with the biggest chance of note being Longman’s powerful effort on goal that Nathan Shepperd did well to parry away from goal.
But Albion would put the game beyond doubt with little over 20 minutes remaining.
Ljubicic showed good strength and power to outmuscle the away defence and square the ball for strike partner Radulovic, and the latter rolled the ball into an empty net.
Seagulls substitute Matt Everitt fizzed a shot narrowly wide of Shepperd’s post as the game entered the final ten minutes, before Raduloivc got his second and Albion’s fourth minutes from time.
Roberts spotted the run of the imposing forward and Radulovic cooly slotted beyond the on-rushing keeper to seal the win after a confident and assured performance from the Seagulls.
Albion line-up: McGill, Tamimwo (Everitt), Weaire, Clark-Eden, Tutt (Turns); Kone, Cochrane, Roberts, Longman; Ljubicic (Spong), Radulovic.
Subs not used: Bentley, Packham.