- Albion 4 Everton 2
A Jack Spong brace and assist saw Albion pick up a deserved win over Everton in Premier League 2 on Friday night.
There was a positive for Albion prior to kick-off as Jeremy Sarmiento was named in the stating XI – the Ecuador international was making his first Albion appearance since picking up a hamstring injury on his Premier League debut against West Ham in December.
While Albion would go onto control a majority of the first half, Toffees under-23s boss David Unsworth will have been frustrated by his team spurning two good early opportunities.
Lewis Dobbin’s ball from the left found Stanley Mills in the middle, his effort straight at Albion keeper James Beadle was a let off for Albion when he had time to pick his spot. That was followed up a minute later by Dobbin, who nodded wide of the bottom left corner from Sebastian Quirk’s right-wing cross.
Ulrick Ella was denied by Everton keeper Will Crellin at his near-post after the Everton keeper had spilled the ball with 24 minutes played, but calamity would play its role in Albion taking the lead.
Kristensen’s drilled clearance from inside his own box flew straight into the back of Isaac Price and into the top right corner of the Everton net.
Albion were working the visitors well with sustained periods of pressure, but were pegged back when Dobbin curled home smartly from just inside the box with ten minutes of the first half to play.
Andrew Crofts will have no doubt wanted his team to start the second half with the same intensity with which they finished the first 45 and it paid dividends just four minutes after the restart.
Moises Caicedo was on the wrong end of Kristensen and Toffees skipper Ryan Astley flying in for a tackle inside the box, sending the Ecuador international crashing to the ground for a penalty.
Jack Spong coolly rolled the ball down the middle from 12-yards to restore Albion’s lead, but it was his strike from a free-kick four minutes later that really earned the Albion captain the plaudits.
Caicedo was once again fouled, this time 25-yards from goal. Spong curled the resulting free-kick into the top right corner with his left boot in some style, giving Albion a two-goal cushion that they would add to with 15 minutes to play.
Spong again was involved as he played the ball down field with substitute Todd Miller in a race to the loose ball with Crellin which the Albion man would win, rounding the keeper and rolling the ball into an empty net for Albion’s fourth of the night.
Dobbin got his second of the night with five minutes to play with another fine finish, setting off on a run from halfway before getting into the box and slotting past James Beadle, but a reckless challenge from Astley on Jack Hinchy saw the Toffees play out the final minutes with ten men.
It was a first victory in seven for Albion, while the win sees Crofts’ team move from tenth up to seventh in Premier League 2.
Albion line-up: Beadle, Offiah, Turns, Roberts, Furlong, Chouchane (Hinchy 80), Caicedo, Spong, Peupion, Sarmiento (Miller 46), Ella (Wilson 86).
Unused subs: Talley, Moran.