Simon Rusk was disappointed to lose on penalties as Albion Under-21s were knocked out of the Leasing.com Trophy by Newport County.

Albion had kept the score at 0-0 in 90 minutes, but were beaten 5-4 on penaties, after substitute Lorent Tolaj blazed over.

Rusk said:"I thought a draw was a fair result after 90 minutes on balance.

"Without watching the game back my raw opinion is both teams will feel they have had good goalscoring opportunities and not took them.

"In the end it's disappointing to lose on penalties and really it's just about moving forward.

"I think we have done well, we've had chances to win the game and we might have been delighted and it just about taking the positives from that."

Albion's youngsters have given a good account of themselves in the comeptition, taking on four League sides and only conceding one goal and not being beaten in 90 minutes.

Rusk said:"We are absolutley proud of that. We choose as a group to have high expectations. As an under-23s and an academy we choose to set the bar as high as we possibly can.

"Our expectations going into tonight's game were we felt we could win, so we have got to assess it, reflect upon it and be better for it."

Albion's U21's have also managed to get to the knockout rounds of the competition, despite only using one senior player, which has been in goal with Jason Steele playing in three games and David Button featuring once against Leyton Orient.

Rusk said: "I think you have to give absolute credit to the group for that.

"There have been far more positives than negatives in this run in the Leasing.com Trophy and there is a lot we can be positive about.

"We are a young group there is no doubt about it, but I always asks the lads do you want me to set the bar high, or do you want me to set it mediocre and the answer is always high.

"We never leave a game happy, when we don't get what we want out of it."