U18 Report: West Brom 2-1 Saints
Southampton Under-18s suffered a tight 2-1 defeat away at West Brom in the Under-18 Premier League on Tuesday.
First-half goals for the hosts from Matthew Crowther and Cole Dexter put the Baggies into a healthy 2-0 lead at the break.
In stoppage time, 14-year-old Saints substitute George Kift netted a late screamer to halve the deficit for the visitors, who pressed for a second goal but ultimately couldn’t find a leveller.
Andrew Surman’s side threatened early on as Fabio Sainsbury slipped a through ball towards Luke Hawe, but William Rutter gathered the forward’s curling effort.
Less than a minute later, West Brom stormed up the other end with Alfie Round sliding a cross into Dexter, but his shot was straight at Hadley Clark.
Saints manufactured a promising move down the left-hand side as George Robinson picked out Oliver Newman with a low cross that looked set for a certain goal, but a sea of West Brom bodies blocked the winger’s powerful effort.
Sainsbury then won possession high up the pitch and the ball was eventually worked to Max Little, who forced a diving save from Rutter with a fizzing attempt.
Once again, Saints forced West Brom into a mistake with their high press, causing a defensive mix-up between Adebowale and Rutter - Jude Daniels pounced, but agonisingly curled an effort into the side netting.
However, it was the hosts who opened the scoring in the 24th minute, when Crowther charged at the Southampton defence before planting a shot into the far bottom corner from the angle.
Looking for a response, Jake Vallance floated a perfectly weighted through ball over the West Brom backline for Daniels but the Saints striker couldn’t quite lift the ball over Rutter, with his touch running out of play.
Archie Lovatt then conceded a penalty after he caught West Brom’s Round with a sliding challenge in the area. Clark dived the right way, but Dexter clinically slammed his spot-kick into the bottom right corner to double West Brom’s lead just before half-time.
Saints started the second half with real intensity in search of a way back into the contest. After a short corner routine, with captain Korban McMullan swung a cross into the box that Broghan Sewell met at the back post, forcing a sensational save from Rutter.
The West Brom goalkeeper was tested again shortly after, but did well to catch Kift’s venomous long strike.
West Brom’s Ryan Colesby and Reece Bastafield both hit efforts narrowly off target, while Saints’ Lewis Bailey had a deflected attempt kept out as the chances kept coming.
Saints eventually made a late breakthrough when Sewell played in Kift who, from outside the penalty area, arrowed a brilliant rasping effort into the bottom corner.
This goal set up a nervy finale to the game as Robinson’s late cross was hacked away by the West Brom defence, and Sewell’s ambitious long-range effort was caught by Rutter.
However, Saints couldn’t find an equaliser and had to settle for a defeat despite their hard-fought performance.
The youngsters return to action later this week on Friday 24th April, when they host Leicester at Staplewood in the Under-18 Premier League, with kick-off at 1pm.
West Brom: Rutter, Asomugha, Round (Letlat 86’), Crowther, Perkins, Adebowale (Abudu 64’), Maughan, Blackshields (Gompe 86’), Dexter (Seven-Seven 78), Colesby, Sankoh (Bastafield 64’).
Subs not used: N/A
Goals: Crowther (24’), Dexter (45+1’).
Southampton Clark, Sainsbury, Vallance (Day 45’), Sewell, Robinson (Kift 45’), Lovatt (Wells 77’), Newman, McMullan, Daniels (Bailey 67’), Hawe (Kuzanga 77’), Little.
Subs not used: N/A
Goals: Kift (90+2).
