This was a vital game for us to stop our six game losing streak becoming anymore than that. Some fans felt this was a game for revenge after the game at Bloomfield Road where a lot of Baggies felt that we were robbed by the referee.
With Myhill already named in goal and Brunt named as captain the team pretty much named its self with Tamas and Scharner at the back a little more security was expected at the back. Odemwingie was the lone man up front with Thomas and Brunt told to supply crosses towards him; Dorrans and Morrison linking play with Mulumbu in his usual holding midfield place.
1st Half
The first real chance fell to Blackpool with Dudley Campbell running through the defence and putting the ball wide of the post. How he didn’t hit the target is still beyond me. The Baggies started brighter with chances falling to us with Brunt making a couple of wrong decisions when he should of knocked the ball across the box he shot and Thomas’ crosses going a little too deep. Odemwingie then fired wide from 20 yards out. We sat back a little and Blackpool got chance after chance to put the ball in the box and we absorbed all the pressure well until Charlie Adam’s corner which was headed half away, and on the 18 yard box line was David Vaughan who calmly curled the ball past Myhill into the top corner. The only criticism of the goal was that he wasn’t closed down quick enough which could have stopped the goal happening.
This really woke us up and showed us what we were up against, we kept getting the ball to Thomas and whipped the ball in but no-one was getting on the end of the cross, but we were showing that we could attack, and finally the equaliser came through Peter Odemwingie. An absolutely fabulous ball from Dorrans caught the defence by surprise and Odemwingie was onside and slotted the ball past Kingston in the Blackpool goal. The ball in from Dorrans was brilliant and that made Odemwingie’s job easier.
We were let off when we thought the ball was going out but it didn’t and Adam somehow fired over from 20 yards out. Right at the end of the half we had one last chance when Thomas’ ball hit the defender with the ball fortunately falling where Kingston was on his line.
2nd half
Albion started better and attacked – we knew we had to if we wanted to win or even draw. Morrison fired straight at Kingston from a difficult angle, just like Mulumbu had in the first half. It was a déjà vu moment after that when Campbell yet again missed the target with an unbelievable chance.
Just a minute later the Baggies were in the lead with Thomas again showing how good he could be by putting in a low cross. The ‘keeper got a hand to the ball but it wasn’t enough to stop Morrison poking home from close range. We had something to defend and the best way to defend was attack with Morrison firing straight at Kingston.
With the Baggies enjoying all the possession but getting little joy Blackpool hit on the break via Matt Philips who was denied by an alert Cech. Then Brunt had a chance to kill the game off but his turn and shot just fired wide. Then our best chance to go 3-1 came. Morrison put Odemwingie clean through and he fired straight at Kingston, he probably should have scored from 10 yards but Kingston did make himself big and stopped the shot well.
We had all of the ball but just couldn’t take our chances but you just knew this game wasn’t ending 2-1. Morrison then fired over from Odemwingie’s lay off. Then we were made to pay. Cech was caught out by Matt Phillips who ran behind the defence and pulled the ball across the box to Gary Taylor-Fletcher who put the ball in to the roof of the empty net with ten to go. The pressure was on, we had all the chances and we had threw them away. But we went for it, we attacked.
Scharner lifted the ball over the defence to an on running Odemwingie who out muscled Craig Cathcart and caught Richard Kingston in no man’s land and he fired home! Dreamland! We had three points if we held on. He didn’t hit it the best shot he could have but it went it and that’s all that matters. We then nearly threw it away straight away, with a low ball causing havoc in the six yard box and defenders blocking shots and then Campbell missing the target. I don’t know how and frankly I don’t care. Then the whistle went and we had 25 points!
On reflection
We were brilliant. We showed we hadn’t lost our character and fought back well. Dorrans showed everything he has shown before with pressure on the ball, but I have to give a word to Mulumbu, he was amazing. He fought and fought won the ball off the players in dangerous situations and passed well. Now we have ended our losing streak the next two games, Blackburn away and Wigan at home, are very winnable with the confidence boost from today against a good Blackpool side who have a brilliant away record.
Myhill had a great game and showed he deserved his chance. He got down low and ran out to deny chance after chance, he also was very vocal towards his defence and he could do nothing to stop the goals.