Albion Under-18s secured passage to the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup after a thumping 7-2 victory away at West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The result meant Chay Thompson's team maintained a 100 per cent record in the group stages, winning all three of their preliminary matches to top Group H on nine points.
Stars aligned for the young Baggies following a strong start to proceedings at the Little Heath Sports Centre where, in the seventh minute, Justin Seven-Seven's perseverance paid off. The visitors pressed the Hammers from a goal kick and forced them to make a mistake, allowing the German U17 international to capitalise and break the deadlock.
West Ham didn't allow the lead to last, though, as Chuk Obi equalised on 27 minutes, but Albion's hopefuls soon regained their advantage - towering target man Seven-Seven latching onto Antonio Perkins' lofted ball over the top before rounding the goalkeeper for 2-1.
Cyprus youth international Perkins soon went from provider to scorer too, as a well-worked set-piece from the left foot of Theo Jackson was met by the onrushing centre-half, who dispatched a free header with conviction to add a two-goal cushion to the away team's advantage at the break.
Following the restart, Thompson's team ran riot thanks to their hard-working ethos and made it 4-1 when Frazer Billings stole the ball down the right, whipped a menacing ball into the box, where striker Cole Dexter was waiting to finish from close range.
With the tempo set, Albion weren't about to relent in their pursuit of more goals, and in-form first-year scholar James Bythell made sure his recent scoring streak continued with another pearler.
Seven-Seven's decoy run to the left side of the box allowed the midfielder to cut onto his favoured right foot outside the box, prior to unleashing a beauty into the top corner for 5-1.
The spectacular didn't stop there for Bythell either, with a free-kick from 25 yards out allowing him another chance to find the net - which he did, curling the ball over the wall and beyond the Hammers' shot-stopper to confirm the Baggies' sixth of the afternoon.
Forward Ethan Smith took advantage of confusion in the home penalty area once again to get on the scoresheet and find Albion's seventh of the game, firing on target after the ball had fallen his way in the box via some pinball caused by fellow attacker Billings.
A late goal from their London counterparts meant the scoreline ended 7-2, but it wasn't going to take any gloss or credit away from an eye-catching display from Thompson's troops - who convincingly secured their place in the last eight of the U18 PL Cup.
Albion: Moses, Asomugha (Hutchinson 80'), Perkins (c), Jackson (Saa 80'), Nasibu, Sankoh, Iqbal, Bythell (Williams 75'), Billings, Dexter (Smith 66'), Seven-Seven.
Substitutes: Davis (GK), Lartey, Edwards.
