PROLOGUE
A beautiful, warm sunny day greeted the fans of the Baggies who turned out in celebratory mood. With promotion already achieved all we hoped for was that the team would continue to perform until the end of the season. A meeting of members of the Footymad board took place before the match at the Park Inn. This has become an enjoyable ritual for myself over the last couple of seasons. Long may it continue!
Middlesbrough started the day 4 points off the play offs with 3 games to play, so a win for them was essential. Earlier results meant they were a further 3 points adrift leaving their task barely achievable. I expected a large contingent of away fans to be present urging their favourites on to what was an essential victory. Sadly, they could have been introduced individually by the Tannoy announcer, such was their sparsity. Major rumblings of discontent on Teeside after a season of under achievement perhaps?
The Albion team was the same one that started at Doncaster.
THE FIRST HALF
The crowd were in party mood and the players, whilst never at full throttle (should that be throstle?), set about their task with intent. Off the field a Mexican wave flowed around the ground within minutes of kick off, ignored only by the travelling fans. On the pitch Albion dominated without really threatening, decent efforts by Brunt, Cox, Koren, Bednar and Dorrans brought gasps from the crowd, but didn't trouble visiting keeper Brad Jones to any great extent. Scott Carson was even less involved, though he needed lengthy treatment after a collision with Boro striker Scott MacDonald. As the game entered first half injury time Bednar teed up Simon Cox on the edge of the penalty area, the young striker controlled the ball, turned away from the centre backs and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. Moments later the referee ended the first half and the players exited the stage to warm applause.
THE SECOND HALF
Scott Carson failed to reappear for the second half. The geriatric Dean Kiely came on to great applause from the crowd. The travelling fans urged their favourites on with cries of "Attack, attack, attack", realising a win was the only way to stay in touch with the play offs. Sadly for them their players were totally dominated by a superior force and never really tested our ageing Cockney Irishman in goal! Ten minutes into the half and the game was as good as over. A flowing Albion move saw Koren cross to the far post, Cox head back across goal, and Bednar poke home the second. Season over for the Teesiders. From then on it was pretty much left to Brad Jones to keep the scoreline respectable, as he produced a string of superb saves that kept the scoreline respectable.
As the game headed towards its inevitable conclusion Kiely did well to smother the ball at the feet of Leroy Lita, and McDonald was unlucky to see a header hit the post, but even a consolation goal would have been harsh on the home side.
EPILOGUE
A very comfortable victory against a strangely uncommitted away team. Whilst earlier results went against them, this was their final shout at reaching the play offs and they were never at the races. The stats show they committed only four fouls throughout the entire match, which does suggest a lack of passion. Let's now aim for 95 points, and 100 league goals for the season! For me, Simon Cox was man of the match, though Mulumbu was given it at the ground.