Albion’s under-21 side ended their PL2 home programme for the 2023-24 regular season with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of a lively Reading side who took full advantage of tricky conditions.
Three first-half goals, including two in the first seven minutes, left Shannon Ruth’s side with work to do to ensure that their campaign is not over.
The team needs to finish in the top 12 to qualify for the playoffs and a place in next season’s Premier League International Cup. They went into this game in ninth place, level on points with Reading, but the victory lifted the Royals into seventh position and dropped Albion to tenth. The young Seagulls have one more match, away to Wolves on Monday April 29, in which to attempt to secure qualification.
Ruth’s squad was somewhat depleted, with Odel Offiah, Cam Peupion and top scorer Mark O’Mahony on the first-team bench at Burnley, O’Mahony eventually making his first-team debut after 89 minutes of the game at Turf Moor. Caylan Vickers, who joined Albion on deadline day in February 2024 from Reading, lined up against his former club.
The visitors were wearing a purple kit with a green pattern, apparently a tribute to a legendary bar in the Berkshire town called the Purple Turtle. With a bright sun and a cold wind at their backs, they began strongly and took the lead after only five minutes, central defender Michael Strickland scoring at the far post as Albion failed to clear a cross from Charlie Wellens following a corner on the left.
And within two minutes, the wind-assisted Royals were two up, Wellens taking a pass from Mamadi Camara and shooting low past Hugo Fisher’s left hand.
Albion should have reduced the arrears when Louis Flower went round goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke, but Strickland chased back and blocked the former Chelsea man’s shot on the goal line. Then Luca Barrington shot wide after Samy Chouchane’s quick pass had given Casper Nilsson the chance to cross low from the right.
Ruairi McConville’s goal-bound header from a corner was nodded over his own crossbar by Carson as Albion pressed to get back into the game before half-time. And another header by McConville was just too high from Jacob Slater’s free kick.
But instead of cutting the deficit, Albion conceded again after 36 minutes, defending poorly from a driven corner and watching in dismay as the ball bounced into the net off the shoulder of Nilsson.
Flower had an opportunity when Reading could not deal with Luca Barrington’s corner, but his header lacked power. And early in the second half he met Chouchane’s lofted pass with a volley only to hit the ball straight at the goalkeeper.
He kept going and saw a header saved by Boyce-Clarke, while an effort from McConville was inadvertently blocked by substitute Joe Knight, and only a spectacular diving save from Boyce-Clarke kept out Barrington’s powerfully-struck volley.
It was all Albion as the second half progressed but even a consolation goal stubbornly refused to come.
Purple reigned.
Albion: Fisher; Nilsson, McConville, Kavanagh, Slater; Chouchane, Doyle (Knight 56); Barrington, Mullins (Ifill 64), Vickers (Baker-Boaitey 56); Flower.
Subs not used: Reid, Jackson.