Supporting Albion is a trial of the human spirit, and readers of this board will know that better than anyone.
If you asked me about the impacts watching the Baggies has had on my 17 years, one of the first things I would be likely to recall would be the countless mornings going into school or college in Leyland, Lancashire, with Albion on the wrong end of a bad result in the north-west the previous night or weekend. No league win at Preston since 1955; no league win at Blackburn since the infamous 1990-91 season; a record at Bolton that usually sees us dominate games and fall to late goals – we haven’t won there since 2000 – means that the only real consolation in games played nearest my own home turf is a couple of wins at Blackpool in the last few years!
On that basis, I know better than to expect miracles when watching theAlbionplay up here in this neck of the woods. Last season saw Blackburn, under the much beleaguered Steve Kean, do the double on us, and our last visit to Ewood saw Gabriel Tamas score a stunning own goal on our way to a miserable 2-0 reverse in the final throes of Roberto Di Matteo’s spell as head coach. Our distinctly underwhelming defeat to a mediocreWiganteam last Saturday certainly made this one an even bigger game for us.
The line-up
Jerome Thomas, whose excellent performance against Bolton a month ago hasn’t really been built on in the games against Tottenham, QPR and Wigan since, was dropped in favour of Paul Scharner, as Albion went with an industrious 4-4-2 formation against Blackburn’s 4-5-1, with their lineup spearheaded by Yakubu, fresh from a four-goal feat against Swansea not long ago, and the sort of centre-forward that Albion defenders usually dread!
The match
We had a sort of understated control of the early stages, but all too often got to the final third only to retreat again, or to fire a promising ball into the box that wasn’t met by either Odemwingie, Long or advancing midfielders. The only notable exception to this early on came when Chris Brunt broke clear of Rovers full-back Jason Lowe, and delivered an inviting cross, only for Odemwingie to glance a header that was more suited to a flick-on than a bullet header from six yards wide of Paul Robinson’s goal.
Not unduly pressured by the hosts, Albion had a subdued sense of comfort in the game, and though I hesitate to say it, there seemed to be phases of play in the first half during which I wouldn’t have looked out of place in an Albion shirt.
With that said, Ben Foster continued to impress me, with a smart save from a well-placed Pedersen free-kick towards the end of the first half. We saw it out until the interval with the scores level. Now was the time forAlbionto take this game by the proverbial scruff of the neck; it was there to be won.
I am one those Albion fans who often criticised James Morrison’s contribution – or apparent lack of it – at times last season, applauding the likes of Chris Brunt and Jerome Thomas, but this season has seen something of a role reversal, and Morrison’s displays have, of late, been a source of great encouragement to me.
This was symbolised with the opening goal, to send the boisterousAlbionfans, plenty of whom had enjoyed plenty of liquid refreshment during the course of the day, into ecstasy in the Darwen End. The Baggies’ superb travelling support was rewarded with a stunning strike, Morrison volleying a half-cleared corner goalwards, beyond Paul Robinson. 1-0 to the Baggies, and it’s fair to say we didn’t look overly threatened in the immediate aftermath.
So it was that the equaliser, on 72 minutes, was a bolt from the blue for the travelling fans. A throwback to Sam Allardyce’s ill-fated reign atEwoodPark, goalkeeper Robinson insists on taking more or less any free-kick in his own team’s half, and a long, lofted ball from the formerLeedsshot stopper was the source of his side’s goal. Anticipating the hanging ball to drop, it was easy to see what the outstanding Gareth McAuley was trying to do, getting goal-side of Chris Samba’s robust frame, but he was out-jumped by theBlackburncentre-half, whose header gave Blues old boy Scott Dann a tap in against his former team mate.
Such was the dominance that Albion had enjoyed for spells, that it was a shock that our winning position had been wiped out, and now we faced a barrage of pressure for 10 minutes or so, with the odd Blackburn fan temporarily diverting their attention from calling for their manager’s head in a bid to spur their team on to win the game. TheAlbionback four – and Foster – were on top form throughout, however, and this gave us a platform on which to build. Morrison had a tremendous strike fly just a yard or so over Robinson’s crossbar, and the travelling Baggies could have been forgiven for thinking it was to be another lacklustre result.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man; Peter Odemwingie, last season’s hero, has yet to really hit the ground running this season, but the match-winner at Norwich repeated the feat – it later occurred to me on the way home that in all three league games in which he has scored this season, we have won: against Norwich, Wolves and now Blackburn. I was almost resigned to the north-west hoodoo going on for at least another few months with time ticking away, before Odemwingie received a pass from Steven Reid, cut inside, and unleashed a perfectly placed finish into the bottom corner, sending the travelling contingent into delirium.
The three minutes of ensuing injury time were among the most frantic of the entire match; Reid and McAuley were both called upon to defend Pedersen’s corners and throw-ins, with Paul Robinson braving the Albion box, aiming to score another goal against Ben Foster, as he did whilst playing for Spurs against Watford five years ago.
When McAuley headed clear one last punt at five minutes to five, Mark Clattenburg blew the final whistle, hordes of Albion fans toppled down the stand to congratulate their team and revel in a collectors’ item... a win in the north-west! What a game that was.
Star men
This was a performance of real spirit, industry and, above all else, genuine quality. Two outstanding goals ultimately won the game, whilst the guile of the back four – and goalkeeper – saw the game out. In fact, the only defensive slip of the game from anAlbionpoint of view was the one that gaveBlackburntheir goal, with McAuley misjudging his leap and allowing Samba to cross with a precise header.
Morrison and Odemwingie will rightly make the headlines with their wonderful goals, but Steven Reid and Gareth McAuley are also worth a special mention for me. As aWest Bromsupporter, days don’t get much better than this. Boing Boing.
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