U23 Preview: Hull City V Albion

Brighton & Hove Albion’s under-23s play their fifth Premier League Cup match in the group stages on Friday evening, when they come up against Hull City at Grange Lane, kick-off 7pm.

The Seagulls occupy second spot in Group H after winning two of their four fixtures in the competition so far - losing the other two against tonight’s opponents and Exeter City.

Simon Rusk’s side started with an impressive 5-0 victory over Sunderland before successive defeats, but Albion got back on track with another win over the Black Cats - 3-1 on the south coast.

The East Yorkshire club sit bottom of the group but are just two points behind the Seagulls, meaning victory for the hosts can move them above Rusk’s side with just one game remaining.

Hull drew 1-1 against Exeter at St James Park last time out, following a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland on home soil back in November.

Albion welcome Exeter to the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre later this month, with the Seagulls guaranteed to have a chance of qualification in their final group fixture.

Rusk’s team head to Grange Lane in good form, having won their last four games in a row in all competitions, beating Sunderland, Whitehawk, Newcastle United and Aston Villa respectively.

Albion supporters can follow a live text blog from this evening’s game on the Match Centre, with a match report being published after the full-time whistle.