UWE HUENEMEIER and Sam Baldock helped Albion’s under-23s to the brink of the promotion play-offs tonight.

The German central defender was one of the goalscorers, together with skipper Max Sanders, in a 5-1 thrashing of West Brom at the Lancing training complex.

Striker Baldock provided the assist for teenage midfielder Sanders, an unused substitute in last month’s FA Cup quarter-final exit at Manchester United.

It was an emphatic response by Simon Rusk’s in-form side to their defeat on penalties in the last eight of the Premier League Cup at Swansea on Friday.

Viktor Gyokeres put Albion ahead in stunning style in the 28th minute.

The versatile Swedish prospect, playing on the left-wing, cut inside to find the top corner with a right-foot curler from 25 yards.

Huenemeier doubled the lead on 39 minutes with a close range header from Dan Mandroui’s corner.

Gyokeres’ second-half replacement Henrik Bjordal made it 3-0 in the 69th minute.

The Norwegian played a neat one-two with Sanders before dinking a cute finish past keeper Alex Palmer.

Palmer flapped a harmless high deflection from a Jiri Skalak shot into his own net for the fourth (78) and Sanders thumped in a header from Baldock’s right-wing cross a minute later.

Sub Robbie McCourt nodded a late consolation for West Brom who included Nacer Chadli, making his comeback from long-term injury, and Scottish winger Oliver Burke.

Albion have moved above Middlesbrough into third in Premier League division two, on course for one of the four play-off spots along also with top two Blackburn and Aston Villa with two matches of their regular season remaining.

Albion (4-4-1-1): Maenpaa; Moore, Huenemeier, Dallison, Cox; Skalak, Alzate, Sanders, Gyokeres; Mandroui; Baldock.

Subs: Bjordal for Gyokeres (61), Connolly for Mandroui (73), Sanchez, Barclay, Tilley.