Wolves 1 (Edozie 6) West Bromwich Albion 1 (Whitwell 57)
Wolves under-21s were held to a draw in the Premier League 2 Black Country derby against West Bromwich Albion at Aggborough Stadium on Monday night.
Tom Edozie’s neat first-half finish inspired Wolves and gave the Old Gold momentum, but Harry Whitwell’s effort levelled the game just shy of the hour mark.
Wolves were electric in the early exchanges and proved to be a difficult challenge for the visitors, as Leo Lopes’ set piece stung the palms of Ben Cisse in the fourth minute.
Lopes was heavily involved moments later; his inviting cross was perfect for Edozie to tap home from close-range to give Wolves the advantage after just six minutes.
Centre-back Alfie Pond celebrated his 21st birthday alongside Bastien Meupiyou in a defensive pairing, and both individuals put their bodies on the line to defend Wolves’ advantage with a series of blocks during the half.
The duo who broke the deadlock teamed up again on the 20th minute when Lopes’ delicate pass threaded through Edozie in on goal, but Cisse denied the effort well.
Lopes continued to drive forward for the Old Gold and registered another shot on target, but James Collins’ side could not find the second goal they were searching for.
Half-time | Wolves 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
Once play had restarted, Wolves were under pressure and had plenty of players behind the ball.
Deago Nelson’s header looked destined for the bottom corner in the 50th minute, but an athletic save from Josh Gracey denied his effort.
After some relentless defending from Wolves, Whitwell eventually got the Baggies level from point blank range on 57 minutes.
A fantastic save from Gracey kept the scores level when Eseosa Sulc was clear through on goal, one-on-one, but the 17-year-old came out on top when Wolves needed him most.
Collins’ side continued to fight and despite having several chances in closing stages, Wolves couldn’t find the winning goal they desired as the derby ended all square.
Full-time | Wolves 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
LINEUPS
Wolves | Gracey, Dayman, Hubner, Meupiyou (Olagunju 71), Pond, Ashworth, Lopes (Barnett 71), Whittingham, Angel, Edozie, Keto-Diyawa (Voice 76).
Unused subs | Mabete, Reynolds.
West Bromwich Albion | Cisse, Williams (Parker 79), Mohammed, Diomande, Frabotta, Hall, Mandey, Whitwell, Nelson (McDonald 79), Higgins, Sule.
Unused subs | Wallis, Humphries, Kirton.
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Report by Thomas Gibson
