Albion Under-21s play their final National League Cup group match against Wealdstone on Tuesday night (ko 7pm).
The young Baggies head into their fourth group game at Grosvenor Vale with slim chance of progression from the group stages. They can still make it through should they win and other results go their way – along with a seven-goal swing between themselves and Boreham Wood – who are currently perched in second place.
Leigh Downing’s side will be full of confidence as they take to the field on Tuesday after an impressive five-goal haul at Luton Town on Tuesday.
Last time out
Albion picked up their first-ever win in the National League Cup when they beat Braintree Town 3-2 at the Rare Breed Meat Co. Stadium.
The hosts took the lead through Tom Blackwell and Oli Davies, but Downing’s youngsters showed resilience to force their way back into the encounter as Souleyman Mandey and Jamal Mohammed equalised each time, before substitute Miller McDonald slammed home the winner in added time to win the game.
Venue
Grosvenor Vale, home of The Stones, has seen two wins and a defeat in the National League Cup so far, and will host the final group game on Tuesday evening.
Pre-match thoughts
Creative forward McDonald says he has the “freedom” to improve and perfect his game under U21s boss Downing.
The 19-year-old joined the club in 2025 from London-based youth system, Fox Soccer Academy, and signed a contract to seal his future at The Hawthorns until the summer of 2025.
McDonald was a source of late Baggies delight in their 3-2 win over Braintree, as he slammed home the winner in additional time after some dexterous work from centre-back Jamal Mohammed in the final third.
And he’ll have his sights set on further glory and experience against senior opposition as the Baggies visit West London on Tuesday.
He said: “It was a great feeling to get my first goal for the club and, hopefully, I score many more in the future.
"The competition is a lot more physical, and in these games, we have to do things a lot quicker.
“In the current system, I have the freedom to be narrow and the freedom to go wide and cross the ball. I can also find Michael (Parker) on the overlap, which is great, and he’s got loads of pace so we can use it.
“I’ve enjoyed coming in, I’ve made loads of friends and I’m happy in the squad. I’ve had Leigh [Downing] from the U18s squad, he’s been a great person to work with, and he’s helped me improve my crossing the most.
“I’d describe myself as quite a pacey player, I like to beat my defender and get the ball in the box.
“It was a great result and a big scoreline against Luton. I had a couple of chances that I should’ve finished myself, but otherwise it was a good performance.
“We had to show more because of the Everton game (a 3-0 defeat in the PL2). In the final third, we needed to be better but in our last game, we created more so that was a big improvement.
“If we were to pick up another win against a senior team in the National League, it would be a real confidence boost going forward."
How to follow
Tuesday's National League Cup group match between Albion and Wealdstone will be streamed live from Grosvenor Vale.
Supporters wishing to watch NL Cup matches are now required to make a free National League+ account, available here.
Once details are entered, fans will need to verify their account via an email link.
A feed will be available within 10 minutes of kick-off here.
Updates will also be posted across the club’s social media channels throughout the match.
