Albion’s youngsters couldn’t capitalise on a dominant display after being held to a goalless draw in the Premier League Cup by Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon.
Tom Bloxham struck two free-kicks against the post for Rovers, but those opportunities were as close as the hosts came to a goal in Lancashire.
The Baggies, however, saw a Layton Love penalty saved, an Eseosa Sule goal ruled out for offside, and several Akeel Higgins efforts go close to finding an opener. A goal would prove elusive, though, as Richard Beale’s boys maintained their unbeaten start in the PL Cup.
While neither side made the most of their openings during the first 45, both created good chances to gain an advantage before the interval.
Higgins came the closest for Albion after Reece Hall’s tenacious work down the right gifted him space to pick his spot just inside the eighteen-yard box. Frustratingly, though, he curled his opportunity wide of the target with goalkeeper Jordan Eastham at full stretch.
The hosts hit the post early doors courtesy of Bloxham’s free-kick and Harrison Wood drilled a low effort narrowly wide of Ted Cann’s post, in a half which was evenly contested.
It was an action-packed second half, with penalty calls galore for Beale’s men.
First, forward Love was cleared out by a sliding tackle in the area despite the ball running away from him, while appeals for an outstretched arm which stopped a shot heading towards goal were waved away by the referee.
However, he did eventually award Albion a spot-kick when Harry Whitwell was shoved in the back as he was about to poke home from a few yards out. Despite a well-hit penalty, Love found shot-stopper Eastham in the way with a low save to stop him netting in back-to-back games.
Still, the visitors pushed on in pursuit of a goal with Higgins curling an effort narrowly wide of the post and U18s forward Sule thought he’d made the perfect impact off the bench when he directed Kevin Mfuamba’s driven strike into the net.
However, the offside flag would quash any Baggies celebrations - meaning the away side returned to B71 with another point to add to their tally in Group B.
Albion: Cann; Hall, Taylor ©️, Phillips; Nelson, Mfuamba, Richards (Heard 49), Shaw (Harper-Bailey 60); Whitwell, Higgins, Love (Sule 67).
Substitutes: Hollingshead.
