Everton snatch win against Albion in Premier League 2

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Charlie Hanson

2025-02-07T20:55+00:00

Charlie Penman. 📷 by Emma Simpson/EFC.

A spirited Albion were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Everton in Premier League 2 on Friday night.

The only shot on target of the first half resulted in the one goal of the game and frustratingly for Albion it came in the 45th minute, as Owen Barker’s free-kick from the right was volleyed in by Aled Thomas at the back post.

Albion should have had a penalty two minutes into the second half when Harry Mills was upended in the box but nothing was given, before Harry Howell’s drive from 18 yards was straight at Everton keeper Fraser Barnsley.

Josh Robertson was making his third start of the Premier League 2 season. 📷 by Emma Simpson/EFC.

Hugo Fisher in the Albion goal then did well to save Thomas’s powerful effort from 22-yards which was flying towards the top right corner, while up the other end Howell’s effort from the edge of the area was straight down the throat of Barnsley as Shannon Ruth's side pushed for an equaliser.

The Toffees were a threat on the counter though and Ebere’s superb run down the left nearly resulted in Everton’s second goal of the night with 25 minutes to play, but the winger’s curler was tipped over by Fisher.

Nehemiah Oriola was introduced in the 72nd minute and nearly had an immediate impact. His cross from the left was punched as far as the edge of the box by Barnsley and straight to Callum Mackley, but the Albion midfielder volleyed over, when an effort on target would have almost certainly found the back of the net with the keeper on the ground.

Former Manchester United man Oriola was then denied by Barnsley from close range and Freddie Simmonds smacked the rebound over the crossbar, with the Toffees then nearly doing the hard work for Albion when Sahil Bashir's cross from the byline was deflected towards goal off the leg of Thomas, but it was straight into the arms of Barnsley.

Albion's rally would not prove to be enough though, as Everton took all three points.

Albion team: Fisher, Simmonds, Penman (C), Slater, Bashir, Mackley, Owusu (Oriola 72), Mills (Lane 72), Howell, Robertson (Nti 62), Moulton (Silsby 62).