Albion’s men’s under-21s returned to winning ways in Premier League 2 with a convincing 3-1 win over Wolves on Sunday.
First-half goals from Odel Offiah and Mark O’Mahony and a late header from Ben Jackson secured victory at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre and moved Shannon Ruth’s team up to eighth in PL2 despite Harry Birtwistle’s strike in stoppage time.
After a quiet start in Lancing, Albion burst into life with two goals in six minutes as Offiah and then O’Mahony tapped home pinpoint crosses from Luca Barrington.
Offiah finished a move he started to put us ahead, launching the first meaningful attack of the match in the 22nd minute by bringing the ball out from the back and finding Andrew Moran in midfield. While the Irishman worked the ball out wide, Offiah continued his run into the box and the right-back was at the back post to tap in Barrington’s perfect pass.
One goal became two six minutes later as Moran nutmegged Christian Marques in midfield before playing a pass into the path of Barrington on the right. The former Manchester City man took a touch before racing into the box and then played another lovely ball across the face of goal which was slotted in by O’Mahony from three yards.
The brace of quickfire goals sparked Albion into life after the quiet start with Benicio Baker-Boaitey nearly scoring number three moments after the half-hour mark, but his angled shot from 12 yards following Moran’s neat pass was well saved by Palmi Arinbjornsson in the Wolves goal.
Albion were dangerous every time they flooded forward, especially in wide areas, and Barrington was next to go close in first-half stoppage time when he cut in from the right and looked to curl in from the edge of the box, but his effort was deflected wide.
Wolves were desperate for a way back into the game at the start to the second half, but failed to create anything of note and instead it was Albion who extended their lead.
Capser Nilsson, on as a half-time substitute for Levi Colwill as his return from injury is carefully managed, had already come close to scoring number three for Albion after some tenacious work from Imari Samuels, before Jackson headed home in the 72nd minute.
It completed a hat-trick of assists for Barrington, who floated an inswinging corner onto the head of Jackson, who powerfully nodded past Arinbjornsson from eight yards to give Albion an unassailable lead.
A 3-0 lead was a fair reflection of Albion’s dominance but Wolves denied them a deserved clean sheet when Birtwistle scrambled the ball past Tom McGill in the first minute of stoppage time, but it was only a consolation and Albion held on for the three points.
Albion: McGill, Offiah, Jackson, Colwill (Nilsson 45), Samuels, Hinchy, Hinshelwood, Barrington, Moran (Mullins 64), Baker-Boaitey Duffus (64), O’Mahony.
Subs not used: Talley, Everitt.