After finishing work at midday, paying for the pleasure of getting my ears lowered and filling up at McDonald’s I took my seat on the coach at 4.30pm ready for 5.15pm departure. Needless to say I wasn’t best pleased when an hour later we were still sitting in the same spot! We finally left twenty minutes behind schedule and hit a wall of traffic on the M5 trying to get on the M6. Unfortunately our journey would be littered with traffic jams on the way to Leicester. After sitting at a standstill on the M69 we detoured to services on the M1 where the police were waiting to escort us to the ground. Had it not been for the escort there would’ve been no chance of us making kick off. As it was we made it to our seats just in time for kick off.
Teams
Robert Di Matteo made wholesale changes to the side which beat Fulham on the weekend. Myhill came in for Carson in goal; Zuiverloon replaced Jara, Meite for Tamas, Pablo for Olsson, and the returning Cech for Shorey; In midfield came Barnes for Brunt, Dorrans for Morrison, Cox for Scharner, Reid for Mulumbu and Tchoyi for Thomas; Bednar replaced Fortune up top on his own. A strong side which arguably was better than our first choice XI last term.
First half
Albion started slowly and had to rely on the excellent interventions of Pablo on a number of occasions inside the opening ten minutes. Apart from Kidderminster in pre-season and his cameo against Fulham, I’ve never seen Pablo before, but boy, what a player! This boy can defender, tackle, pass – he’s got the bloody lot!
Albion settled down and from their first real opportunity of the game scored. Barnes, who had the beating of the full-back all night – jinked past his man and crossed a high ball to the back post. Tchoyi stuck out one of his long legs and knocked the ball down for Bednar. His shot was blocked but fell kindly for Cox who expertly jinked the ball over the on-rushing keeper. 1-0 Albion after our first attack of the evening.
Barnes continued to terrorise the home defence. First he ‘skinned’ his man and missed the outstretched foot of Roman Bednar by inches before finding the front-man who shot straight at the keeper. Tchoyi, in tandem with Cech, was equally effective down the left. The big man played a lovely one-two with Bednar before curling his shot wide of the right hand post. Albion were in control and looked dangerous every time they went forward with purpose. Just before the half-time whistle, Bednar looked to have doubled Albion’s advantage but saw his looping header tipped around the post.
After the break
Shorey came on for Cech as the Slovak continued his comeback and looked sharp during the first half. The hosts looked as if they’d been given a ‘roasting’ by Sven during the break – not the first time he’s been involved in this situation I’m sure! However it was Albion which created the first chance. Dorrans playing a neat one-two with Tchoyi on the edge of Leicester’s box before his cross/shot narrowly missed the far post with Cox charging in. Last season he would’ve buried it!
Dorrans was in the action moments later when his error led to Leicester equalising. Albion cleared a corner and looked to mount a counter attack. However the talent Scotsman uncharacteristically stumbled on the ball and lost possession. The ball was played and wide and fired in with Shorey getting a touch which beat the flapping Myhill. 1-1 and the game was back on.
Leicester pushed for another and Pablo again admirably stood up to the physical presence of Steve Howard. Even with Zuiverloon and Meite in Albion’s backline, Pablo’s composure never meant we were shaky – although Meite did his best to gift Leicester a goal through an awful first touch when under no pressure!
Yet it was Leicester who were in the giving mood. They say that lightening never strikes twice, but it did last night. Zuiverloon lumped a hopeful ball forward which seemed an easy take for the keeper. However with big Somen charging towards him he lost his nerve and dropped the ball at this feet just like Van Der Sar had done weeks ago. The wide-man initially seemed as shocked as everybody else in the Walkers Stadium but kept his composure to slot the ball home. Albion 2-1 in front. The game seemed beyond Leicester’s grasp.
It was and the Baggies pushed forward for more. After Shorey’s expertly taken free kick was tipped on to the crossbar, Barnes’ corner was headed down by Reid to score at the back post. If the game wasn’t finished before, it certainly was now.
Backed by a bumper following of nearly 4,000 fans, Albion still attacked with purpose with Barnes and Miller, a substitute for Bednar, both coming close before Simon Cox scored his second of the night. After instructing Dorrans to get out his way, the attacking midfielder hit a rasping shot – which did take a slight deflection – into the top corner to send each and every Albion fan home happy.
On reflection
It was another good night to be an Albion fan. Apart from the opening 15 minutes, the Baggies dominated proceedings. In defence Pablo was superb. Absolutely outstanding. On that performance, he’s got to be really, really close to a starting berth. If Olsson is a long-term absentee, we have nothing to worry about. In midfield Reid controlled the game in the holding role. His passing was excellent, positional sense good and was strong in the air against Howard. Out wide Barnes had his best game in an Albion game. Expect him to be in the squad, if not start against Blackpool. Albion into the quarter-finals and dreaming of another trip to Wembley.