Our men’s under-18s were beaten in dramatic circumstances on Saturday as Reading came from 2-0 down to win at Bearwood Park Training Ground.
Charlie Tasker put Albion ahead after just five minutes as he fired in from Joe Knight’s corner.
A victory in Premier League South for the first time since August looked to be on the cards when Harry Lee struck from close range with 20 minutes on the clock, but the Royals would respond.
Joseph Barough flicked in from a corner to make it 2-1 just before half-time, before Phillip Duah’s effort deflected in to equalise in the 71st minute.
And Albion’s late pursuit of a winning goal was cruelly punished as a Reading counter was rounded off by Jay Porter-Atkinson in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to secure all three points for the hosts.
“It was a disappointing result,” men’s under-18s head coach Inigo Calderon said. “We had one of our best 30 minutes in the first half that we have had this season. We went 2-0 up doing things well.
“But we’re missing that consistency at the moment and that is holding us back. We conceded from two set-pieces. In the second half it felt like we slightly edged it, but in looking for a winner we conceded.
“We can see things developing, but we have to be able to show what we can do for longer periods.”