Albion play their third National League Cup match on Tuesday night against Braintree Town (ko 7.30pm).
Richard Beale’s youngsters have played well in two tightly-contested Group D matches despite not recording a win in the competition thus far.
But that's a fact they'll be looking to change when they travel down to Essex in their first December matchday.
Last time out
Dagenham & Redbridge were the last opponents in the National League Cup, with the fifth-tier outfit coming out on top against the young Baggies.
They won 2-1 despite going down to 10 men late on and Dan Chimeziri scoring his second U21s goal.
Netting in the National League Cup! 🏆
Take a look at the full highlights from our youngsters' clash with the Daggers here. 👇— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) November 6, 2024
Venue
The Cressing Road Stadium will host Albion’s academy hopefuls in their next NL Cup clash.
With a capacity of 4,400 (553 of which are seated), Town have won six of their 13 home matches across all competitions this term - drawing three and losing four.
Pre-match thoughts
Glandular fever has given versatile right-sided midfielder Archie Kirton a very stop-start introduction to his first year as a professional.
The boyhood Baggies fan, who earned himself a one-year deal at the end of his scholarship last term, has had to fight the persistent illness during the opening stages of the 2024/25 campaign - combined with a slight quad injury along the way.
Now, having returned to full fitness, Kirton is focused on making up for lost time and says he can’t afford to take his "foot off the gas” in the fight to earn another contract at The Hawthorns.
He sees the next National League Cup clash against Braintree as an ideal chance to “stand out” to PDP boss Beale, in order to gain further appearances and showcase the ability which has progressed him to the professional phase.
Kirton said: “At the start of pre-season I came back in for a couple of days, but then I learned that I’d picked up an illness called glandular fever.
“Your liver swells up and it’s a really bad kind of tonsillitis, so that set me back and I was off for two weeks, then I had four off where I couldn’t do any contact stuff.
“I came back but because it’s a prolonged illness, I was out for quite a while again and although I had a niggle in my quad along the way which set me back, again, I’m now back at it and am hoping to get some minutes to show people what I’m about.
“It’s been really frustrating because it feels like time’s been wasted where I could’ve been proving myself to earn another contract. You just want to play football as a footballer and it’s horrible sitting out while watching your team-mates play well.
"You just want to make your mark, but there’s time to prove myself now and the National League Cup is the next chance for that.
“Playing against men, a National League team, who play real football, will give us a good idea of where we’re at. Hopefully, there’s people watching and I can stand out to Bealey so I can get more starts in the future.
“It’s six months until we get our next decisions and when you’re playing games constantly, that time flies by.
“I’ve been here since I was six and to have been here all that time, at my boyhood club, it would be a shame to let it go now.
“So this is where every contract I earn gets more and more serious. This is the most serious it’s been so far, and to be going through that situation at my club makes it ten times better.
“Some players who get two-year contracts may have a bit more time to take their foot off the gas, but I don’t have that luxury. I can’t stop and have to keep pushing myself to make sure I earn my next contract.
“You don’t want to be looking for a club, which can be quite hard at the age I’m at now. I won’t be switching off and I’ll be fighting to make sure I’m not in that position come the end of the season.”
Matchday information
Tickets will be available to purchase on the gate at Cressing Road.
Cash and card are both accepted, with tickets on sale between turnstiles 1-4.
How to follow
Updates will be provided across Albion's social channels on Tuesday’s National League Cup match against Braintree.
Supporters can also follow a live stream of Albion’s youngsters on National League TV here.
The National League have kindly provided the following step-by-step guide for fans looking to access the live feed on the night:
- Go to nationalleaguetv.com, press LOGIN, and register for a new account
- Use the verification code sent to your email inbox to complete your registration
- Return to nationalleaguetv.com within 30 minutes of kick-off when the streams begin, and select your match from the carousel on the homepage
