West Brom 2nd Half

By: Tony Butcher
Date: 23/04/2001

West Brom came out 5 minutes before Town so their players were hanging around the half way line jumping up and down and rubbing their hands. The crowd got restless and booed Town back on.Rather unfortunate, as it wound the crowd up into making noise (conspicuous by its absence in the first half)

West Brom also made two substitutions - Jason Roberts and a little bloke. They also went to a 4-3-3 formation with Hughes on the left.

As predicted, West Brom blitzed Town from the off, upping the pace of the match into a frenzied, frantic shapeless mess. Within 30 seconds they nearly scored. The ball was played up to the edge of the area, Taylor challenged, controlled the loose ball and dribbled straight at the heart of the Town defence. Three Town players managed to block him, but the ball ran loose to Fox, unmarked, about 15 yards out. He smacked a first time drive just over the angle of Coyne's left post and cross bar. Just what Town didn't need - something to whip up the West Brom supporters. Two Baggies turned round and urged the crowd to get behind them, thus upping the noise level and intensity. Within a minute they nearly scored again. A high ball into the centre of the Town box from the left was controlled by Taylor on his chest. He was allowed to turn and he hooked a left foot shot bouncing towards Coyne's left hand post. Coyne saved very clumsily, chesting the ball around the post for a corner. From the corner they headed wide. A minute later Roberts headed wide of the left hand post.

A couple of minutes later Hughes wriggle down the right and, from near the touchline, crossed low and hard to the far post. Roberts, unmarked, slid in and diverted the ball a yard wide of Coyne's left hand post. The Town support sank into their seats watching West Brom do unto us what we had done unto Watford and Tranmere. The crowd were braying, almost sucking the ball in. The Town players were retreating closer and closer to Coyne. Town were seemingly being over powered as West Brom were driven on maniacally by their formerly slumbering and grizzling supporters. But West Brom hadn't scored, had they. The ball flew through the Town penalty area a couple of times and no one touched the ball, surely one would go in? It was only a matter of time.

Town just couldn't string any attacks together, the front two were unsupported by the midfield, as they were all back defending. And no criticism for that, both Donovan and Campbell supplied excellent cover for their respective full backs. Donovan was rarely seen in the West Brom half, but did a lot of unsexy stuff, such as tracking back and covering for McDermott when McD had ventured forward, or had shuffled across to cover the centre backs. And still wave upon wave of West Brom attacks washed up on the Town back four. The ball was rarely on the ground - down the channels, mainly towards Hughes, who barged his was through challenges and caused a lot of problems, though he only had one decent shot himself, which Coyne saved low at the foot of the near post. Half way through the half Hughes turned inside the penalty area and fell under a non-existent challenge by Groves. Groves had deliberately, and quite theatrically, stopped himself from poking out a leg to tackle Hughes. The referee gave a goal kick and didn't even talk to Hughes, let alone book him. The crowd brayed and booed, but they were desperate by this time, rather than honest. They were getting mighty miffed by the mighty mariners, and especially all those ex-Baggies, especially Groves.

Around the same time Handyside half stopped a huge bouncing clearance, near the right edge of the penalty area. Roberts hassled and harried him, turned and thumped a volley a foot over the bar. A few minutes later West Brom were given a free kick just to the left of centre of the Town goal. As Town set a feeble wall West Brom passed the ball down the outside of the wall to Hughes, who crossed low across the case of goal. Missed everyone in the middle and was cleared by Groves at the far post. Town last fell for that simple trick against Hereford in 1989, don't they remember these things!

Cornwall was taken off with 10-15 minutes left and was rewarded with a resounding singing of his name. There's only one, and we've got him. This brought on Iron Mike to perform his party trick of running around near the ball and almost touching it. He nearly won 2 throw-ins during his time on the pitch. As he chased towards one long clearance a section of the crowd sang "Bungle for England" as an affectionate rallying call in support of our wind up substitute. The last 20 minutes saw West Brom pump ball after ball into the box and virtually every one was intercepted by Handyside. He assumed the Futcher position - the ball magically attracted to his body no matter where he stood. Left boot, right leg, chest, head, chin, left heel, right instep most body parts came in useful. Handyside stood alone in the box and simply swept the ball away from a Baggie boot. A grand return to past glories.

In the last few minutes, as West Brom piled even more players forward Town eventually had some attacks. After about 75 minutes Coldicott had a shot which hit a defender's heels about 25 yards out, and that was the first Town effort of the second half. In the last 5 minutes Livingstone bundled through three challenges on the left of the West Brom defence and, about 10 yards out to the left of goal with just the 'keeper to beat, he rolled the ball across to Jeffrey. Unfortunately he rolled it behind the Tireless One, who adjusted his feet and his shot was blocked by a defender and squirmed crazily across goal and away. There were no more Town "efforts", just a couple of break aways which fizzled out.

At 4:50 the fourth official walked to the side of the pitch and fiddled with the electronic board, but never put it up. At 4:57, long after the town supporters had began requesting consideration be given to ending the game, the referee awarded West Brom a free kick out on the Town right, just inside the Town half. It was wellied deep into the penalty area and one of the centre backs, unmarked, headed very high and very over the bar from about 12 yards out. And that was, eventually, that.

The Town players danced around like they'd won the league. Groves and Livingstone, closely followed by Pouton, ran over to the supporters, waving and clapping. McDermott turned round and ushered the rest over and, in a 5-1-5 formation they bowed, waved, and shook their fist in jubilation. Cornwall hung sheepishly behind the rest, as if he didn't belong, but Coyne ran over and cajoled him into joining the group. The team, for that's what it was and now is. Not a collection of individuals. The churlish Baggies, or at least those who had bothered to stay till the end, attempted to dampen the pleasure with oh so deeply wounding chants of "Baggies rejects". The whole of the Town team turned round and gave a collective "up yours", with Pouton and Livvo in the lead. Livvo even gave three air punches straight at the West Brom supporters. Heartfelt response for their West Brom Hell ?

Not great football, and ultimately a fortunate win. So what. April is about winning. Coyne was not required to perform heroics, merely to stand in the right place. The middle two defenders and middle two midfielders tackled and tackled and tackled until they virtually dropped. Everyone worked hard closing down West Brom and just generally getting in the way. They all looked totally exhausted after 60 minutes, but kept going and were rewarded with some luck.

It was an exhausting game to watch too, with our arms and throats aching through incessant exhortations. The last 10 minutes were played out to the Town supporters singing and dancing their encouragement to the team. Sheer will and an indefatigable desire got the team through the match, and probably the season. One more go and we're certain. Just one more effort.

Nicko's man of the Match - until the last 20 minutes no-one stood out, as young Mr Grace would say "They'd all done very well". But the ghost of Futcher past rose in the shape of Peter Handyside. He glided into the path of the ball to relieve anxiety.

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