Noel! Noel! Atom strikes as Albion go top at Christmas

Noel Atom and Mark O'Mahony scored for the U21s as they end the year with Premier League International Cup win over Lyon.

Nick Szczepanik

2023-12-20T21:00:00Z

Mighty Atom: Noel Atom celebrates after putting Albion U21s ahead against Lyon.

Albion’s men’s U21s ended their fixtures for the year by moving to the top of Premier League International Cup group B with a 2-1 victory over Olympique Lyonnais at the American Express Elite Performance Centre on Wednesday.

A first goal for the club from Noel Atom and Mark O’Mahoney’s 12th of the season gave Shannon Ruth’s team their third win in as many games in the competition. Their final group game will be at home to Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia on Wednesday 17 January.

Lyon had arrived in second place in the group table, one place behind leaders West Ham United and one place and one point ahead of the Albion. And they were full of attacking intent in a frenetic opening as referee Abigail Byrne looked to play advantage at every opportunity.

Mark O'Mahony is enjoying the opportunity to train with Roberto De Zerbi's squad.

But Cam Peupion, recalled from his loan at Cheltenham Town, lost no time in getting back into the old routine and firing over some dangerous crosses. Joe Knight’s clever diagonal pass through the visitors’ defence found Atom, but although the defender’s first touch seemed to set him up perfectly for a volley, he put his shot a foot too high.

He did far better after eight minutes. Benicio Baker-Boaitey took an inswinging free kick on the right, and O’Mahoney touched it on. It looked as though the ball was on its way in, but Atom made sure from a yard out for his first Albion goal.

Lyon, though, had attacking ideas of their own and after Yannis Lagha had intercepted Ruairi McConville’s pass, Chaim El Djebali let fly from 25 yards, the ball dipping just over Killian Cahill’s crossbar. Then El Djebali exchanged passes with Romain Perret on the right but put his first-time shot beyond the far post.

Imari Samuels in action against Wycombe in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Wednesday.

Full internationals El Djebali (Tunisia) and Moussa Kante (Senegal) were pushing their team forward and the Albion defence was under pressure. When Lagha put an acrobatic volley way over, it seemed certain that Albion would reach the interval ahead. But when Atom intercepted a long forward ball out of defence and touched it back to Cahill, the goalkeeper took his eye off the ball and it rolled under his foot and into the net.

It looked as if Lyon must take the lead just past the hour when Lagha ran clear only for McConville to rescue the situation with a perfectly-timed tackle. And within a minute, Albion were ahead again. Peupion led the attack from the right and when O’Mahony made his move the pass was perfect and so was the finish.

Cam Peupion takes on the Lyon defence.

Peupion almost got a third when he charged onto Knight’s long clearance but he hit the ball straight at goalkeeper Justin Bengui. And a spectacular third was close when O’Mahony met Jacob Slater’s cross with a flying header that went high.

But it took a block at poiont-blank range from substitute Louis Flower to deny Ali Alamine Ali an equaliser at the far post.

Albion: Cahill; Nilsson, McConville (sub: Simmonds 84), Atom (sub: Jackson 75), Samuels; Knight (sub: Slater 76), Mullins; Peupion, Duffus (sub: Flower 63), Baker-Boaitey (sub: Howell 84); O’Mahony.