From school to Wembley: Brighton U21s eyeing EFL Trophy history

On a freezing cold Tuesday night at the Amex, Brighton Under 21s moved a step closer to making EFL Trophy history.

The Albion quietly followed up a very impressive 4-0 win at MK Dons in the previous round by beating a strong Reading side on penalties after a 0-0 draw in 90 minutes, moving within two wins of Wembley in the process.

No Premier League development side has made it to the final since top flight and Championship clubs were controversially invited to enter their Under 21s into the competition for the 2016-17 season.

The EFL Trophy is currently made up of all League One and League Two sides plus the top 16 Under 21s teams from Premier League Two.

Most development sides bow out in the group stage. Not the Seagulls though. Wycombe Wanderers beating West Ham Under 21s means Brighton are the only academy team into the last eight of the EFL Trophy.

For some idea of what could lie in wait if the Seagulls were to win their next two matches in the competition, last season’s final had a crowd of 79,389 at Wembley as Bolton Wanderers defeated Plymouth Argyle.

Brighton Under 21s have been made to work hard to advance this far in the EFL Trophy. Nine of the Reading side at the Amex played in their League One game at the weekend.

In truth, Reading were the stronger team over 90 minutes (18 shots to 8). But even riding their luck, this was another impressive performance by Brighton against opponents who had scored 20 goals in their previous four EFL Trophy games.

After a goalless 90 minutes, the Albion won the resulting shootout 3-2. Number three goalkeeper Tom McGill was particularly impressive across both the game and penalties.

There were as many Reading fans at the Amex as Seagulls supporters. Two choruses from the visitors stood out as they attempted to create an atmosphere.

The first came after a concerning opening 20 minutes for Brighton in which Reading’s press meant the Albion’s youngsters were unable to settle into any DeZerbiBall-style rhythm playing out from the back.

“Premier League, you’re having a laugh,” sang the away section. This was treated with deserved derision by the Seagulls contingent. Reading did know they were playing the Under 21s, right?

The second chant later in the game had far more accuracy. “You’re going to school in the morning” was very much the case for 15-year-old Harry Howell, who confidently struck the winning penalty in the shootout.

Howell just happens to be cousin of Jack Hinshelwood. His father his Bognor Regis Town and Eastbourne Borough manager Jamie Howell, who married Adam Hinshelwood’s sister. A seriously talented footballing family, it would seem.

What made the result against Reading even more impressive was that this was not even a first choice Brighton Under 21s team.

Shannon Ruth had to do without the army of players out on loan and five development squad members who have flown out to Dubai with the first team having sat on the bench in recent weeks.

You can make a very good team from the Under 21s unavailable: James Beadle; Imari Samuels, Casper Nilsson, Ed Turns, Leigh Kavanagh; Yasin Ayari, Kacper Kozlowski, Andy Moran; Josh Duffus, Adrian Mazilu, Benicio Baker-Boaitey.

That XI is without taking into account Cam Peupion, Jenson Weir or Marc Leonard. When you then consider that players like Hinshelwood, Jeremy Sarmiento, Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson, Facundo Buonanotte, Carlos Baleba and Ansu Fati are also eligible for Under 21 football, you realise just how bright the future is for Brighton.

Given all the players missing, it was little wonder that beating Reading with a reserve Under 21s side led academy manager Ian Buckman to describe the win as “one of the academy’s finest ever results” when speaking to the official Albion website.

Ruth added: “Pride is the overriding feeling, for the young players to perform on a night like that. That is probably the biggest game some of them have been in and to ask them to perform in that manner against a really strong Reading side was good to see.”

“Reading paid us a lot of respect with their line-up and to stand up to that – it was our fourth clean sheet in the competition – and then to deal with pressure and perform with the penalties I’m really happy.”

The Brighton XI read: McGill, Ruairi McConville, Ben Jackson, Noel Atom, Jacob Slater, Jack Hinchy, Samy Chouchane, Luca Barrington, Louis Flower, Jamie Mullins and Mark O’Mahony. Howell, Bailey Smith, Markus Ifill and Joe Knight all came off the bench.

What is notable about the team Ruth selected is that the majority of them have been with Brighton since a very young age.

For all the praise that has come the way of the Albion pathway in recent years, most of the players breaking though all arrived in Sussex having already completed much of their footballing education elsewhere.

The aforementioned Buonanotte, Enciso and Ferguson were signed over the age of 16. Robert Sanchez was bought from Levante at 15-years-old and Ben White joined the Albion following his release from Southampton.

Instead, Brighton are now beginning to produce their own homegrown players. Tony Bloom observed as much when recently discussing the emergence of Hinshelood.

“Particularly with Jack, he is the first player to come from the lower age group the Under 8s all the way through to playing regularly in the first team,” Bloom said.

“It is a joy to behold to see that happening. Seeing him perform so well is a huge encouragement to the rest of the academy players as well.”

Hinshelwood should be the first of may to follow this pathway with players like Duffus and Howell having been with Brighton from a very young age.

How realistic then is a Wembley final in the EFL Trophy for Brighton Under 21s? The truth is making history remains a long shot.

Many League One and League Two sides treat the competition with disdain early on but this close to Wembley, they will begin to field full strength sides knowing that a memorable day out and a cup final is in reach.

In contrast, Ruth may find his options further stretched ahead of the quarter and semi finals. More development players could be called into the first team squad as Brighton fight on three fronts in Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League over the coming months.

Some of those who featured in the win against Reading have been mooted for loan moves in January, such as Hinchy and O’Mahony.

So, as the League One and League Two outfits get stronger, the pool of players and quality available to the Albion reduces.

Hence of the teams left in the EFL Tropy, Brighton are the significant outsiders. Stranger things have happened though and the further in the competition the Albion go, the more of a spotlight is shone on the fantastic work being done at academy level.

The Under 21s are certainly worth watching in these games and it would be good to see a significant increase in Brighton fans, particularly if drawn at home with Wembley within touching distance.

Peter Finn