I can officially write this with major joy, I think you can all guess why! This is the fixture we all look for when they come out, this season there was no worry about a postponement as the weather turned out rather nice for our Black Country derby. This one was massive for the bragging rights.
Heard the team news in the car. Four changes to the Baggies that drew two all with Sunderland last time out, and let’s be honest, they were rather odd, but Roy knows what he’s doing. He watches training and he picks the best possible team. Jones in for Shorey, first thoughts, a right back at left back and a debut in the Premier League couldn’t be much bigger for the young defender. Scharner was in for Dorrans, a good move by Roy I think, but more bite in the middle and Dorrans’ recent performances haven’t been overly impressive. Morrison was out and Thomas bought in, this was to attack and take defenders on and worries them with pace. Finally, Tchyoi was brought in for Odemwingie, i think this was an odd move that could or couldn’t work. He holds the ball up more and is more unpredictable, also he can work on the wing, with or behind the striker.
Wolves made two changes, the big one being Milijas in for his first start of the season. The only real miss for Wolves was Steven Fletcher who had a calf injury on Thursday and was replaced by Hammill.
Kick off
The game started well with Wolves going straight for the throat but creating only one real opportunity through Adam Hammill, who had a pop at goal from the left of the 18 yard box. He hit it across Ben Foster who scrambled and dived across to make a good save.
Then we got into the game and Tchyoi had a shot blocked. The ball ended up to Mulumbu who split the defence in half passing the ball to Billy Jones who cut the ball back to Chris Brunt 14 yards out who smashed the ball with no back lift into the left hand corner. The Hawthorns erupted with joy!
We pushed on from this and attacked a wounded Wolves side who seemed stunned by the goal. Their fans were silent and their team couldn’t find the net despite chances, the best of which fell to Kevin Doyle two yards out. He had the goal at his mercy after some desperate Albion defending, the ball fell nicely to Doyle who just hit it low and hard but straight at Jonas Olsson’ legs. The Baggies roared again with the faithful celebrating the block like a goal had been scored at the other end.
We pressed again. Scharner had a chance that he curled just the wrong side of the far post. Long, all alone, turned and twisted and hit a thunderous shot swerving in the air at Wayne Hennessey, which was hard to handle and he dropped the shot. Questions were asked of where the player following up was. The question was asked again when Mulumbu from around 22 yards out hit a curling strike to Hennessey’s left to which he got down low and made the parry straight into danger, again no player following up.
Wolves turned the Albion cog late on with a series of corners that last season we would have probably crumpled under but not with McAuley and Olsson. We got everything clear if not first time then second. Very organised, very focused and it made all Baggies very proud! The only criticism of our corners defensively would be we don’t get out the box quick enough when we have cleared it, allowing their strikers to lurk onside in the box, luckily nothing came of this.
The half time whistle went to happy Hawthorns.
After the break
The second half began with Wolves again looking sharper but doing nothing with possession, but with us not having scored a goal in the second half of the season so far, I thought this was our moment that sometime in this half we would score a goal.
Long again won all balls in the air against Roger Johnson and outpaced him again and again. This was a problem when the already booked Johnson took out Long without getting the ball and he was the last man which to me adds up to AT LEAST a second yellow card but not in Chris Foy’s eyes!
Just before that, Ebanks-Blake came off the bench and set up Adam Hammill 16 yards out and hit it nicely but Foster got down and made the save. Another question of Chris Foy’s eye sight was asked when Berra decided he wanted to be a Scottish Rugby player, man handling Olsson so he couldn’t get a head to one of our few corners during the game. Then, in my opinion, comes the best chance of the game for Wolves. Doyle puts a high ball in the box towards the back stick and Johnson gets way above Jones in the air to somehow head wide from just six yards out.
Odemwingie then made an appearance on for Somen Tchyoi, the unpredictable striker who I don’t know whether to be happy or sad when he leaves the pitch. He’s an entertainer, I’ll leave it at that one.
Mulumbu whipped a ball out wide to Paul Scharner who cut inside and back heeled it to Peter Odemwingie, a man who we can now say will not leave us in January, well not for the African Cup Of Nations! He forgot about the week he has had and made a two touch finish: first one out of his feet and putting the defender off balance, the second a low shot out of the ‘keeper’s reach. That was it, the points were sealed, the Baggies had the bragging rights and had 15 minutes to enjoy the day with no pressure. Although we kept coming forward looking for the third, we sat back and made sure the clean sheet record of last season was to be broken.
On reflection
We really must look at what we have here and then look back ten years and look how far we have come. We now, I believe, have a team capable of anything. We have a back line full of experience, not all with Premier League experience, but we have two centre backs that can win balls in the air follow back and not jump in stupidly. Brunt, well I shall say is that he gave a captain’s performance. I’m playing at this level now you watch me and do the same, and guess what, he was faultless and so was the rest of the team. From corners we were defensively sound and when attacking we can now beat the first man unlike we did under RDM. I think Roy’s plan is just starting to come into effect with Shane Long heading our attack and his running, heading and pace giving no defender a moment’s peace. It’s exciting times to be a Baggie. THE BLACK COUNTY’S OURS!
Boing Boing Baggies, great day, great weekend, great time to brag!
Boinger219.