Baggies' four-game unbeaten league run comes to an end
ALBION’S Barclays Under-21 Premier League four-game unbeaten run tonight came to an end with a 2-0 defeat at West Ham.The Elite Group encounter at Rush Green looked like being goalless at the break but Elliot Lee stunned the Baggies by putting the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time with a cool one-on-one finish.
The Baggies missed chances of their own but Wellington Paulista sealed the points for the Hammers on 64 with a bullet header across Alex Palmer.
Albion development coach David Oldfield said: “We're disappointed with the result but we had a young group playing and they worked hard.
"We played well in patches, especially in the first half, and we were unfortunate to concede on the stroke of half-time.
"We didn't play so well in the second half but the boys keep learning."
WEST HAM: Larkins, Driver (c) (Shaw 90), Potts, Nasha, Spence, Ruddock, Bywater, Moncur, Paulista, Lletget, Lee (Mavila 82). Subs not used: Piquionne, Brown, Onariase.
ALBION: Palmer, Hurst, Smart, Birch, O'Neil (c), Atkinson, Roofe, Allan, Sawyers, A Nabi, I Brown (S Nabi 75). Subs not used: Rose, Pace, Wedderburn, Francis.
GOALS: WEST HAM – Lee (45), Paulista (64).
BOOKINGS: None.
REFEREE: S Butler (Kent).