Albion Under-21s triumphed on penalties over Woking in their first National League Cup group-stage encounter on Tuesday night.
The Baggies, up against senior professional opposition, had to dig deep throughout some tough spells against the Cardinals, but eventually passed the test with flying colours.
Leigh Downing’s young charges took the game to penalties at The Laithwaite Community Stadium, where they produced a perfect record from 12 yards, and goalkeeper Ben Cisse was on hand to save two of the hosts’ spot kicks.
The senior hosts made a better start than the Baggies on Tuesday night. Woking saw consecutive efforts saved by Cisse from Josh Ayres and Anthony Georgiou after 20 minutes.
But Downing’s outfit were keen to put their own stamp on proceedings, Cole Deeming took it into his own hands to do so and he rifled a long-range effort onto the post.
Woking had the ball in the net not long after through Chinwike Okoli, who rose highest to meet a corner, but there was a foul inside the six-yard box and the referee was quick to chalk the goal off.
The Cardinals were keener to force the issue against their academy opponents in the second period. Substitute Liam Dulson raced into a pocket of space in the box, before drilling into the legs of Cisse, and the shot-stopper then sprung to save Okoli’s header moments later.
Prior to him making way amidst a raft of attacking switches, Ollie Bostock cut inside his defender effortlessly to lash centimetres wide of the upright.
But there was no way through in the normal time for either side, as they were forced into a penalty shootout, where Albion eventually prevailed.
Cisse was at the heart of the visitors' promise as he saved two spot-kicks, while the outfielders also had the measure of their senior opponents from 12 yards - they converted all four penalties to win the shootout 4-1.
Albion: Cisse; Mohammed (Iddrisa 73’), DuPont, Pinnington, Letlat; Crowther, Deeming (Lucas 88’), Bostock (Colesby 73’), McNeil; Francis-Caesar (French 63’), Bray (Parmar 63’).
Substitutes: Okonkwo, Maughan.
Albion shootout order: Deeming - scored. French - scored. Colesby - scored. Parmar - scored.
