West Bromwich Albion won a five-goal thriller at Motspur Park this morning and inflicted Fulham under-18s first defeat since August.
Souleyman Mandey headed the Baggies in front on eighteen minutes, and although Samuel Amissah brought Fulham level, a goals either side of half time from Ariel Walker gave Albion a two-goal cushion. Potent poacher Aaron Loupalo-Bi reduced the arrears in the last minute of normal time, setting up a grandstand finish but Ali Melloul’s men couldn’t find another equaliser.
Melloul brought Amissah and Park into his side replacing Brad de Jesus and Josh King, who had starred in the under-21s’ four-goal lashing of Leicester City last night. Fulham could have easily taken an early lead with in-form forward Callum Osmand desperately unlucky to be denied by the woodwork twice in the space of seconds. The Welsh youth international headed against the post from a corner and then saw his instinctive follow-up shot cannon off the crossbar.
Captain Ollie Gofford forced a fine save from Ben Cisse in the Baggies’ goal when he shot goalwards from long range, but a dreadful lapse in communication at the back almost handed the visitors the opportunity to take the lead. Mandey shot wide but the attacking midfielder quickly made amends heading a cross from Cole Deeming past Dino Kaiser to give the Albion the lead. The home side didn’t get downhearted and drew level nine minutes later when Amissah converted calmly against Cisse had made a hash of collecting Tom Olyott’s cross.
Loupalo-Bi was unlucky not to put Fulham in front from their very next attack with the striker’s shot hitting the post before Osmand was denied by the legs of Cisse after he had raced clear of the Albion defence to latch onto a ball from Gofford. It looked as though the home side had hit their stride they fell behind when Kaiser parried a drive from Archie Kirton into the path of Walker, who made no mistake from close range.
Osmand almost scored a superb leveller at the start of the second half but Leigh Downing’s side increased their lead just after the hour when Walker converted a penalty awarded after Oliver Bostock was brought down in the box. A stretching Osmand diverted Gofford’s cross just wide of the far post after excellent play by substitute Jayden Quashie before being denied by a full-stretch save from Cisse.
Loupalo-Bi gave Fulham feint hope of a comeback when he spun superbly in the area and finished into the bottom corner after being picked up by Park but the Whites couldn’t get another equaliser in stoppage time.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; Tabares, Park, Amissah, Nsasi (Quashie 72); Nwoko, Gofford; Olyott (Ali Wahid 75), Gordon, Osmand; Loupalo-Bi. Subs (not used): Varney, Bogle-Campbell, Ridgeon.
BOOKED: Gofford.
GOALS: Amissah (26), Loupalo-Bi (90).
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-2-3-1): Cisse; Maughan, Ojetoro, Morrish, Summnall; Quinn, Deeming; Kirston, Bostock, Mandey (Cherchi 75); Walker (Teesdale 90+1). Subs (not used): Brady, Dupont, Palmer.
BOOKED: Bostock, Deeming, Ojetoro.
GOALS: Mandey (17), Walker (36, pen 62).
REFEREE: Jonathan Bolland.
