Martin Kelly makes return after 11-month absence as West Brom u21s beaten
Martin Kelly returned to action after a long ACL setback as Albion Under-21s kicked off 2024 with a 4-2 home defeat to West Ham.
Experienced one-cap England defender Kelly, 33, has not played since seriously injuring his knee on his debut for loan club Wigan last February.
But he came off the bench in the second half for a personal milestone as Richard Beale’s youngsters fell to PL2 defeat to the visiting Hammers at the training ground in Walsall.
The line-up included youngsters who have recently tasted senior action in the FA Cup win over Aldershot, including Josh Shaw, Harry Whitwell, Fenton Heard, Akeel Higgins, Layton Love and Jovan Malcolm.
Second-placed West Ham flew into an early 2-0 lead with the Baggies youngster slow to react for a first competitive outing in exactly a month after the Christmas break.
West Ham’s Luizao made it three on 73 minutes but it looked like young Baggies might have staged an unlikely comeback as Love and then Higgins netted within seconds of each other to make it 3-2 with 15 minutes to go.
The visitors struck a fourth late on to wrap up the win. Beale’s Baggies are down in 20th in the 26-team division, which no longer features relegation.
Albion XI: Cisse; Williams, Hall, Harper-Bailey, Shaw; Whitwell, Mfuamba; Heard, Higgins, Malcolm; Love.
