Albion Under-21s return from their international break with a trip to Ipswich Town in the Premier League Cup on Friday evening (ko 7pm).
It’s been almost three weeks since Leigh Downing’s youngsters last took to the field for their 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the Alexander Stadium, and they’re vying for improvement across a number of different competitions.
Now up against the Tractor Boys in their third PL Cup group encounter, the young Baggies will hope to break clear of their opponents in Group H - with each team currently perched on a win apiece.
Premier League Cup | Group H Table
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bromley U21s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town U21s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Albion U21s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Coventry City U21s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3 |
Last time out
Albion collected their first victory in this year’s competition away at Coventry City.
Efforts from Remar McNeil, Noah DuPont and Jack Bray ensured all three points over their Warwickshire adversaries in Leamington Spa.
Venue
The Jobserve Community Stadium will play host to Friday's PL Cup clash.
Downing’s hopefuls were successful on their last visit to Essex, beating Friday’s opponents 3-0 in PL2.
Pre-match thoughts
Despite watching his team struggle to maintain consistency across their array of competitions so far in 2026/27, U21s boss Downing believes there are still plenty of positives to take.
Albion’s young charges have put themselves in the knockout-round reckoning in both the National League and Premier League Cup, but it’s mainly in PL2 where the Senior Professional Development Phase Coach wants to see more from his side.
The academy prospects have produced impressive showings but failed to be on the winning side recently, something Downing is keen for them to improve upon after a long break in match action.
But until they next take to league action, there’s only one place for the Baggies to show the strides they've made across the international break - their PL Cup group-stage clash with the Tractor Boys on Friday night.
He said: “If we were to summarise the games programme from the start of the season, across the cup competitions, we’ve given a good account of ourselves.
“The National League Cup, having played two and won two, gives us a chance to get out of the group. That’s a real positive and shows the boys can compete in senior football.
“We’ve seen again, a bit like Harry Whitwell, Ollie Bostock go out to that level and hopefully he kickstarts his career to get regular first-team football. We’ll look to carry on where we left off in that competition.
“In the Premier League Cup, we beat Coventry City and lost to Bromley, so all of us are now on three points. There’s lots of football to be played and the objective is to still qualify and get out of the group.
“The league has been the most frustrating part because in two out of the three games, I believe we’ve deserved to win and have ended up with only a point from them. Our last performance against Nottingham Forest was probably our poorest of the season, we didn’t do enough with the ball in that one.
“Overall, there have been lots of positives; lots of opportunities for U18s to step up, and some of the senior 21s players are giving themselves a chance to get loan moves. On the whole, it’s been a good start.
“If we weren’t creating chances, it would be harder to win games of football. Going back to the style that we want and mirroring the first team so they’re able to handle that transition, we’re pleased in that respect because they’re showing that on the pitch.
“Sometimes, it comes down to that decision-making in the box and the final bit of quality. We’re often not scoring when we’re on top either, and that swings the momentum of games because we’re then vulnerable to conceding.
“There are a number of lads that are fighting for those spots to play. Cole Dexter (U18 striker) came on and took his chance in the game against Forest, which was good to see, and then the likes of Remar McNeil are trying to get back amongst the goal contributions too.
“With the PL Cup, the quicker you can get to that 12-point mark, the quicker it gets you out of the group. But now they’ve changed the format - the group is wide open, and we need to take advantage.
“We need to continue winning games and get out of the group as soon as we can.”
How to follow
Supporters will be able to follow Friday’s tie across the club’s social media channels.
A match report and highlights will be available after the fixture.
Cover Image | Credit: Addison Everiss / @addyp1x
