Match Reports

Cherries beaten as Albion maintain impressive run

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Hinshelwood and Spong on target in 2-0 win at AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League Cup.

By Bruce Talbot • 26 November 2022

By Paul Hazlewood
Jack Spong doubled Albion's lead with a shot into the bottom corner.

Our men’s under-21s stretched their unbeaten run against academy teams with a comfortable 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League Cup on Saturday.

Albion gained ample revenge for the 3-0 loss we suffered to the Cherries earlier in the season as they benefitted from a dominant first-half performance at the Vitality Stadium thanks to goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Jack Spong.

They have now picked up seven points from four games and are in a good position to reach the knockout stages with home matches against QPR and Derby County to come in December.

Albion controlled the first half and the surprise was it took us until the 34th minute to break the deadlock.

By Paul Hazlewood
Jack Hinshelwood put Albion in front with a close-range goal.

Bournemouth keeper Cameron Plain kept his side in it during the opening half-hour, the pick of his saves coming when he pushed away Hinshelwood’s close-range header from Luca Barrington’s cross.

Todd Miller and Cam Peupion also went close before Albion scored twice in as many minutes to take control.

Hinshelwood broke the deadlock in the 34th minute after Peupion and Casper Nilsson combined down the right. Plain got his hand to Nilsson’s cross but pushed the ball straight to Hinshelwood who bundled it over the line.

Albion doubled their lead in their next attack when Spong latched onto Barrington’s pass and drilled a left-foot shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Plain produced a brilliant save just before the break when he turned Barrington’s 25-yard free kick onto the crossbar and Albion’s only worrying moment in the first half was self-inflicted. Ed Turns lost possession but keeper Jack Beadle was equal to Jonny Stuttle’s close-range shot, which he turned over the bar.

By Paul Hazlewood
Luca Barrington impressed in Albion's midfield against Bournemouth.

Another mistake, this time by Beadle whose pass out went straight to Michael DaCosta Gonzalez, didn’t prove costly when he fired wide from 15 yards, but it was a warning for Albion early in the second half that there was still work to do.

Beadle was at full stretch again to turn over a powerful 30-yarder by Ben Greenwood and Bournemouth were much improved after the break, without ever looking capable of a comeback.

Matt Everitt headed Albion’s best chance of the second half wide but the visitors saw the game out comfortably enough. Next up is Wednesday’s Premier League International Cup tie against Monaco at the American Express Elite Performance Centre.

Albion: Beadle, Offiah (Ifill 86), Tsoungui, Turns (Jackson 45), Nilsson, Hinshelwood, Spong © (Everitt 61), Samuels, Peupion, Barrington (Wilson 77), Miller.

Sub not used: Cahill.