Albion Under-18s produced an impressive performance on the road to beat West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The Baggies, as the scoreline suggests, made a rapid start to proceedings, as centre-half George Shaw nodded Adam Letlat’s dangerous corner beyond Tommy Goodger for the opener.
The young Hammers made their way back into the game on the half-hour mark. Andre Dike was fouled by goalscorer Shaw, before stepping up to dispatch the equaliser with a low left-footed strike.
Chay Thompson’s men were keen to reignite their usual goalscoring rhythm just after the halfway mark, though. They did so through Letlat, who turned from provider to contributor to rifle a low shot into the far corner and reinstate the visiting advantage.
Forward Justin Seven-Seven was brought down in the penalty area moments later, leaving leading talisman Harry French to slot home a spot-kick and cement a two-goal cushion for the visitors.
And Albion weren’t done there, as Shane Gompe threaded a neat pass in-behind for Jaiden Francis-Caesar, who latched onto the through ball to nestle a calm finish beyond Goodger to put the game beyond doubt.
The Baggies conceded a late consolation goal, but it didn’t matter, as they sealed all three points to leave them sixth in the U18 PL South table with five matches left to play - including one in midweek at home to Southampton (Tuesday, April 21).
Albion: Moses; Abudu, Perkins, Shaw (Trialist A 78’); Iddrisa, Gompe (Sankoh 82’), Iqbal, Letlat (Round 82’); French, Francis-Caesar, Seven-Seven (Dexter 78’).
Substitutes: Trialist B (GK).
