American Express Elite Football Performance Centre

Friday 8th March 2024 - 19:00
Brighton
- Days
- Hrs
- Mins
- Secs
2
v
1
WBA
Key Events

A photo of Albion academy striker Eseosa Sule smiling in the 23/24 home kit

Second-year scholar Eseosa Sule has praised the club’s Academy system and digs families for his recent good form ahead of Albion’s PL2 meeting with Brighton on Friday night (ko 7pm).

The young Baggies make the long drive down to the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre with improved optimism having gone undefeated from their last two matches against Arsenal and, more recently, Southampton.

Glaswegian Sule scored a vital brace to ensure the U21s’ last league win against the Gunners, while the striker has also been enjoying himself in front of goal for Leigh Downing’s U18s team this term - notching eight goals in 12 matches.

There’s been plenty of transition for the 17-year-old, who departed Celtic after ten years in their youth ranks, as well as his family roots in Scotland, to pursue a new chapter with the Albion last year.

But it’s a decision the attacker hasn’t regretted since his move to England, stating the support he’s received from the Academy and his host families have played a huge part in his development - something he’s keen to enhance further by scoring against the Seagulls on Friday.

“I’ve started to find my feet now,” said Sule.

“The club’s been helping me to get back home more often, but also the digs families I’ve been with have made me feel so welcome and that’s played a big part in my performances.

“It’s been down to them and the club, who have made me feel wanted and loved since I’ve been here.

A photo of academy striker Eseosa Sule and Reyes Cleary hugging

“I’m taking every game as it comes and working hard to improve every day.

“I’m starting to understand it all. I’ve got a bubbly personality so I might not have taken all sessions as seriously as I should have done previously.

“But now it’s all starting to click and I’m working harder in training, in the gym, and it all stems from getting those things right and I’m starting to see the results on the pitch.

“In my meetings I have with the coaches, one of my areas I’ve been keen to improve on is getting more goals in the box. For example against West Ham for the 18s, all three of my goals were inside the area; a header, a tap-in, and a one-on-one.

“Stuff like that is really nice to see because I can see the improvements for myself.

“Pressing isn’t my strong point, but I’m starting to understand the importance of it a lot more now.

“I have to do it for the team and I also have to do it for myself because, as one of the last PL2 games against Arsenal showed, I got one of my goals from pressing and also for the 18s against Fulham.

“Knowing when to pass and go myself is a really key area you need to have if you’re going to make it to the top level. That’s what everything comes down to - your decision-making.

“Now, the plan is to score, help the team, try and get the win, and give it 100 per cent on Friday night.”

A photo of Jovan Malcolm, in the 23/24 red and blue away colours, shooting a free-kick into a Brighton wall in an U21s match at Brighton's training ground

Albion’s academy hopefuls were left disappointed on Friday night after suffering a narrow away defeat to Brighton in the Premier League 2.

Louis Flower and Jamie Mullins scored the decisive goals either side of Jovan Malcolm’s spot-kick, and although defensive pair Alex Williams and Reece Hall went close to levelling again in the second 45, the Baggies’ U21s fell just short at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre.

A photo of Harry Whitwell on the ball during Albion's PL2 match v Brighton
Photo Credit | BHAFC - Paul Hazlewood

The first half was one of mixed emotions for the club’s young pros, who went in at the break trailing despite putting in a good account of themselves.

An individual error led to the hosts taking the lead when forward Flower was allowed all the room he needed to burst in on goal, leaving Brad Foster in the Baggies goal flat-footed to prod in the first of the contest within 15 minutes.

This was unfair for Richard Beale’s men after their early hard work to intercept the Seagulls’ possession-based approach from the back, and it was from a high press where Albion got back on level terms.

Eseosa Sule nicked the ball inside the box before rounding the goalkeeper. With the goal at his mercy, home keeper Steven Hall wiped the striker clean out as he was about to net the leveller.

A spot-kick was given and Malcolm calmly converted to restore parity with 22 minutes on the clock.

A photo of Jovan Malcolm in the 23/24 red and blue kit in action in the PL2 v Brighton
Photo Credit | BHAFC - Paul Hazlewood

Fenton Heard, Akeel Higgins and Harry Whitwell followed up with efforts in an attempt to turn the game on its head prior to the half-time whistle, but Brighton managed to regain the lead again.

Centre-back on the night Matt Richards was wiped out off the ball during a home attack, allowing Mullins to scramble in the second to separate the teams at the interval despite strong appeals for a foul in the build-up.

It was a much quieter affair after the restart and while chances were few and far between, Albion’s youngsters left the south coast wondering how they didn’t get a point.

Wales youth international Williams was sent through one-on-one down the left wing during the last quarter of proceedings, but despite getting into the perfect position, he fired straight at the goalkeeper.

A photo of Alex Williams in the 23/24 away kit in action v Brighton in Premier League 2
Photo Credit | BHAFC - Paul Hazlewood

Skipper Hall very nearly made the Seagulls pay when he went on one of his usual marauding runs from deep to work space for a shot inside the box.

However, like earlier attempts, the defender fired high over the target as the young Baggies narrowly missed out on a share of the points. 

Albion: Foster; Williams, Hall ©️, Harper-Bailey, Richards, Nelson (N.Phillips 70); Heard, Whitwell (Mandey 70); Sule (Mfuamba 77), Higgins (Bostock 63), Malcolm.

Unused subs: Brady (GK).