Post-Match Report

Report: Arsenal U18 4-4 West Brom

Myles Lewis-Skelly in action for Arsenal U18 v West Brom

West Bromwich Albion U18 -

Arsenal Training Centre, London Col
U18 Premier League South
U18 Premier League South
  Arsenal U18
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Arsenal U18
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  West Bromwich Albion U18
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West Bromwich Albion U18

WHAT HAPPENED

We scored a stoppage-time equaliser to rescue a point from an eight-goal thriller against West Brom, as we drew 4-4 at London Colney on Saturday afternoon.

Jack Wilshere handed a debut at under-18 level to Osman Kamara and the forward justified that decision inside three minutes, racing in behind the Baggies defence after a pinpoint Myles Lewis-Skelly pass, and keeping his composure to find the bottom corner.

Our lead lasted just over 10 minutes as the visitors restored parity through Fenton Heard's tap-in at the far post after a long ball in behind caught out our defence.

We restored our advantage midway through the half, Sebastian Ferdinand finding the back of the net from a tight angle after some excellent pressing from Kaleel Green to force a mistake from Ben Cisse in the West Brom goal.

We added to our lead shortly after the restart when Green got the goal his performance deserved, pouncing on the loose ball after Jimi Gower's initial strike could only be parried back into danger by Cisse.

The visitors pulled one back with 20 minutes left to play, Layton Love capitalising on an error as we tried to play out from the back and beating Alexei Rojas from close range.

Our lead was wiped out moments later, Akeel Higgins finding the roof of the net in a goal-mouth scramble after we failed to deal with a lofted corner to the back post.

We fell behind for the first time in the match with just over 10 minutes remaining after Rojas was adjudged to have brought down Heard in the box, before Love dispatched the penalty to mark a quite remarkable comeback from the visitors.

Lewis-Skelly scored our fourth and game's eighth goal deep into stoppage time, his effort taking a deflection and wrong-footing Cisse to roll into the bottom corner as we snatched a point with almost the last kick of the game.

WHAT IT MEANS

We drop down to seventh in the Under-18 Premier League table after four matches played.

WHAT'S NEXT

We aren't back in action for two weeks, when we travel to face Norwich City on Saturday, October 1.

Kick-off at the Lotus Training Centre is at 11am (UK time).

TEAM NEWS

Starting XI: Rojas, Nichols, Kacurri, Brown, Ismail, Lewis-Skelly, Dudziak, Gower (C), Ferdinand, Kamara, Green

Substitutes: Kovacevic, Small, Ryan, Oulad M'Hand, Obi-Martin

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Fixtures & Results

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