Albion's PL2 side held off a Norwich City onslaught with ten men on Friday night, as they ensured the points were shared at Carrow Road.
Rico Richards had given the Baggies the initiative just under 20 minutes into the first half thanks to a lovely lobbed strike, but Tyrese Omotoye quickly levelled with a powerful drive from the edge of the area.
Josh Shaw's hamstring injury meant the young Baggies had to play over 10 minutes with ten men after using all of their available substitutes, but valiant defending saw them keep the hosts at bay and return to B71 with a point.
It was a bright start to proceedings from the visitors and they should’ve been ahead sooner than they were. Unfortunately, it was potentially a case of the wrong man in the wrong place, as Ethan Ingram sent a one-on-one opportunity straight at City stopper Dan Barden.
Attacker Richards was the man who sent England youth international Ingram through for his chance, and it was he who showed the calmness and measure in front of the target to get the game’s opener, weaving away from his man after Harry Whitwell’s clever pass to lob in the first goal.
That lead was short-lived, though, much to the Albion coaching staff’s frustration when Omotoye took advantage of poor defending to bury home the equaliser from the edge of the area. And it was the hosts who ended the half stronger.
Ben Watt curled a shot narrowly wide and resilient last-ditch defending by a combination of Josh Shaw and Zac Ashworth broke up a two-on-one counter to prevent the Canaries taking an important lead in at the break.
The second 45 saw little in the way of Albion chances, and left wing-back Shaw's late injury meant the Baggies youngsters were down to ten men for the final stage of the game due to the visitors using all of their available outfield substitutes.
Richards came close to tapping his second from a fast-paced back across the face, but from then on, it was all Norwich.
Watt smashed a good chance over, Ashworth hooked a goal-bound shot off the line and Kenneth Aboh came tantalisingly close to clinching the win for the home side.
Thankfully for Albion, though, his effort bounced off the post, meaning the visitors - led by a coaching duo of Deon Burton and Boaz Myhill in Richard Beale's absence - left East Anglia with a hard-fought point.
Albion: Hollingshead (gk); Hall (Nguepissi 71), Harper-Bailey, Ashworth; Ingram, Andrews ©, Whitwell (M.Richards 71), Shaw (79); R.Richards, Faal, Malcolm (Higgins 60).
Substitutes: Trialist (gk)
