| Pos. 2nd (51pts) | SUNDAY 29 DECEMBER 2019 | Pos. 16th (30pts) | ||
| West Brom | 0-2 | Boro | ||
| 60% 11(5) 5 16 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
40% 15(10) 12 12 |
Ayala (17) Fletcher (90+4) |
|
Boing Boing Boro!
An away trip to Birmingham just before the new year comes to end the old with what many of us predicted would result in a good thumping. There was the odd hope that we may escape with a plucky, undeserved draw but the Baggies seem to be on a relentless mission to return to the Premiership this season after their reorganisation following Tony Pulis’ departure.
With scant resources it was expected that Woodgate would go again with what he had available to him. It would be an unlikely scenario that any of those being wrapped in cotton wool would emerge from their winter hibernation for fear of being damaged in the sales. They hadn’t been missed in all reality with the youngsters showing far more hunger and desire that more than made up for any lack of experience. The worry was that a good thumping could psychologically damage them but in fairness the Leeds mauling was swiftly put aside and after two home wins in a week even the suicidal Swansea showing didn’t have any long-term hangover.
After being held to a draw in their last outing to Barnsley maybe there was some hope for the Travelling Army that the Baggies could once again be caught in a festive spirit. Albion midfielder Filip Krovinovic had told Baggie fans that they would be going all out to give them a win this afternoon so we were expecting a backlash.
Kieron Gibbs had been forced to limp off the pitch at Oakwell so would be 50/50 for today’s encounter. Nathan Ferguson Kyle Bartley and Grady Diangana were all rated as doubtful as like Woodgate, Bilic had his own injury list to contend with. Bad boy Ahmed Hegazi was also likely to be in the squad again after a supposed training ground spat last week.
Team news saw Bilic make four changes from Barnsley bringing in wingers Phillips and Edwards sensing that Boro could be undone by attacking the inexperienced Spence and Coulson. West Brom hadn’t lost at home all season for 18 games pre kick-off so this was going to be a massive Herculean task. Woodgate made one change, Clayts came in for Johnson which would indicate Fletcher battling up top relying on support from the midfield.
Boro won the toss which many of us thought may be the only thing we would win this afternoon. Dani Ayala decided that the sides would change ends as today’s match official Geoff Eltringham got things underway with the Baggies kicking off. It looked like Clayts and Saville were keeping things tight in front of our defence with Wing and Tav further up with Spence which hinted at a 4-2-3-1 or possibly even a 4-4-1-1.
The opening five minutes were fairly uneventful with Boro looking extremely comfortable. Seven minutes in and a feigned foul by Kanu led to a Boro free kick which was quickly despatched up to Spence who fizzed in a shot winning our first corner and an immediate second corner delivered to the near post was hurriedly cleared by Livermore. As they went up the pitch a blocked cross by Ayala gave the Baggies a throw in near the corner flag but the threat was easily contained by Howson who cleared the danger.
Hegazi was fortunate that the Linesman didn’t agree with Fletcher when he seemed to be brought down. Had Fletch perhaps been a little stronger he may have remained on his feet and I suspect the Assistant thought the same. Fourteen minutes had gone with Boro still looking anything like a Boro side this season and Dael Fry conceded the Baggies first corner. It was a near post effort but Boro cleared, broke with Wing, playing in Fletcher but Livermore read the intent and was there to prevent the final ball to Tavernier.
Quarter of an hour in and Boro so far had looked composed and a stranger would be hard pushed to tell which side was at the top of the Championship and which side was fighting relegation. Woodgate had his organisation, tactics and structure right for this one so far. Another low cross in from Spence led to Gareth Barry slicing it out for Boro’s third corner. As the corner was delivered in by Wing to the near post, up rose Ayala to head home past a feeble attempt from Sam Johnstone to put Boro ahead and deservedly so. Seventeen minutes gone and Boro had defied the odds and all logic with it.
Johnstone spared West Brom blushes from further embarrassment after a great move from Boro saw Fletcher shoot and then Saville testing the Baggies Keeper in quick succession who had to save with his feet. Fletcher came close again but was flagged offside as this Boro team looked to be unrecognisable to the side that played without any belief for the major part of the first half of the season. Boro then hit Johnstone’s post as the ball went out of play and the Baggie looked vulnerable. Ferguson won a Baggies corner off Spence and again they delivered in another short one but it went out for a Boro goal kick which was well defended and shielded by Coulson. It was probably the first time Pears had touched the ball in the game with over twenty-five minutes gone. Furlong then had a diving header from a cross from Pereira just over Pears’ crossbar as they came the closest, they had been and seemingly just waking up.
Livermore was once more engaged in defending as we attacked and won yet another corner which was almost repeated by Ayala but this time it wasn’t to be. The Travelling Army had appealed for a penalty with Livermore claiming it was his chest rather than his arm that had made contact with the ball. The lively Pereira again went close for the Baggies with Ayala clearing the danger. West Brom were noticeably gaining a foothold now. Phillips beat Coulson and found Pereira who volleyed his shot but Pears was equal to the effort. A minute later and Phillips once again beat Coulson but his final ball was to an imaginary colleague fortunately for Boro.
A poor clearance from a hurried Pears after Fry had sold him short led to Kanu winning a Baggies corner. West Brom were in control at this stage but we still had an outlet with Wing, Fletcher, Tav and Spence should we clear it out quickly, something which Boro had been missing for a huge part of this season. The tension in the Hawthorns was inflating rapidly with the Home fans growing in frustration the longer the game went on. Thirty-seven minutes gone and Clayton fed Saville who tested Johnstone again. Despite the home side winning all the possession stats that Saville effort was a warning to a very perplexed and angry looking Bilic. Spence then robbed Barry, putting in another quality cross with the table toppers looking very uncharacteristically susceptible to these Boro forays.
A top corner effort from Kanu after a one-two had us drawing breath but it went wide of the target. Wing took a free kick for a foul on Fletcher and as it came in it was Fletcher who attacked it but missed his opportunity. Howson then hit a thirty-yard screamer but it didn’t trouble Johnstone but the very fact that we were getting at the Baggies keeper had the home fans starting to whistle and jeer in frustration, contesting and complaining about every decision. A Coulson cross after Fletcher headed the ball down to him was put out for yet another Boro corner in the dying seconds of the half. Ayala headed it down but Livermore cleared, Wing returned it with interest and vengeance in equal measure winning our sixth corner of the game.
A cross from Ferguson found Kanu but his header was aimless and Coulson collected with ease. Another Baggies attack was cleared out by Fry to Fletcher but the creaking Barry cleared his lines, Howson read it and set Tav away with Boro still looking comfortable and delivering by far the best half of football in 2019.
No doubt Bilic would ring the changes at half time but so far there was nothing Woodgate needed to do apart from a few pats on the back as his players departed back down the tunnel. At the restart the youngster Ferguson was taken off and Townsend put on in his place along with Edwards being hooked for Austin. The half kicked off with Ayala again making a nuisance of himself this time at the back post.
Howson earned a yellow for blocking off Phillips as he tried to link with his new strike partner Austin in the first card of the game. A good punch from Pears denied Phillips and as Tav mis-controlled the ball it came back in requiring Pears to come off his line to collect and take the sting out of the Baggies impetus much to the chagrin of the Home fans as he made somewhat of a meal of it and let’s just say it wasn’t a ready meal.
West Brom were going for this now and pushing us back, we needed to be strong as the front two pairing had given them fresh impetus. A Perreira cross to Livermore saw Pears tip it over for a corner as the pressure kept growing. The ball came in from the corner but Hegazi put it wide with the game now approaching the fifty-five minute mark. Spence was brought down by Townsend just on the corner of the 18-yard box. Tav hit the resultant free kick in with pace and as Fletcher pouncing it was put out for a corner. Tav delivered it deep but it was over-hit giving Howson no chance at the far side.
Things erupted when Geoff Eltringham pulled play back for Coulson being laid out injured resulting in Livermore going mental with the Ref and lucky to just get a yellow card for his frustrations. A drop ball saw Gareth Barry hit it out and the ageing midfielder who looked a shadow of his former self made way as Bilic threw on his third and last substitute Krovinovic. A Boro free kick then had sub Austin getting feisty with Fry and close to completely losing it as the home fans and those in striped shirts became increasing incensed with the Ref.
A deep cross from Furlong reached Austin but Pears collected it with ease. Aynsley once again had to be alert and react quickly to Phillips and of course wound the home fans up further with his generous use of time in putting the ball back into play. The Hawthorns now was bouncing with feelings of unjust decision making and Boro time wasting. A Philips cross was deflected but Pears once again was equal to it. Phew, hanging on but defending with steel and vigour.
Perrera launched another free kick into the Boro box but Pears again reached up and collected. A bad back pass nearly allowed Wing in but he went too wide and as he cut it back the header from Fletcher was tipped over by Johnstone earning another Boro corner which was hoofed clear by Hegazi. Seventy minutes gone and Boro were not only holding on but threatening.
A coming together between Spence and Phillips saw a yellow card for both as Phillips appeared to have struck out at Spence. An attack from Boro saw Fletcher break and test Johnstone again who was relieved to put it behind for a corner from a tight angle. Austin headed the corner clear from which the ball came back at them with Tav went down for a weak penalty shout. As West Brom cleared Saville had went down with the aggressor Austin collecting a yellow for his offence on whatever had gone on between them.
Things were heating up and a red card seemed to be tantalisingly in the offing. A free kick as Clayton was clattered by Perreira allowed Boro to take a few more delaying seconds for breath with some leggy looking red shirts out there. A quarter of an hour remained and Boro still clung to that slender binary lead. Marvin Johnson was readied and Djed Spence came off via the far touchline as Geoff Eltringham endeavoured to show he was unbiased by making the exchange a little quicker than permitting the usual far side of the pitch walk of appreciation.
Johnson’s first activity was to lose the ball as the Baggies came straight back at Boro but Pears once again collected the ball, dawdled a little more as twelve whole minutes remained. Next up a Phillips header caught by Pears who dropped to the floor to ensure it didn’t spill of course, coughs loudly. Ten long minutes now remained with West Brom passing and probing but Boro suddenly broke with Coulson on a thirty yard burst but Furlong took him out before he could play in Fletcher. Wing lined up the free kick with a strange Boro wall alongside the Baggies wall but the delivery dipped just too late and evaded Johnstone’s top corner. Six minutes now remaining and it was still 1-0 to the Boro. Come on BORO!
A Gordon Banks class save from Pears defied Austin and saw Boro rush out with Tav to Fletcher then back to Tav then Marvin Johnson and then requiring Sam Johnstone putting it out for a Boro corner (lost count now). Claims for a handball from Coulson then ended with him “readjusting” to take out a Baggie attacker as the pace was merciless and intensity growing. A yellow card for Coulson amidst frustrated late claims for that “hand ball” that wasn’t given. I think had the Ref given a penalty the Hawthorns would have spontaneously combusted.
Wing then went off for Gestede to come on with a only a few minutes remaining. A Phillips cross was cleared by Howson then after a frantic few seconds of defending it went out for a West Brom Corner. Pereira’s delivery came in, evading Pears but it went out for a goal kick which Pears once again took his time to collect, set up, digging the turf with his boot Jonny Wilkinson style and meticulously readying his kick.
A half-cleared attempt by Fry saw Phillips trip over himself as fatigue was clearly taking its toll. Five agonising minutes was held up by the fourth official as Pears launched it up to Gestede, it was cleared but then Clayts took a kick for his troubles and went down earning a respite inducing free kick, taking his time getting to his feet with sixty seconds of added time consumed. Yet again a Phillips cross was met by Howson but the danger continued requiring Marvin to slide in to concede a throw in. A tete-a-tete between angry Austin and Pears played into our hands as another sixty seconds ebbed away. A series of head tennis from Coulson to Saville to Fletcher saw a ludicrous thirty-five-yard lob over Johnstone in the Baggies box and nestle into the back of the net to seal all three points, ensure our first away win and the Baggies first home defeat of the season. Fletch turned, sprinted three quarters the length of the pitch to celebrate with the travelling army behind Pears’ goal in jubilation. West Brom 0-2 Middlesbrough!
MOM was all of them, Pears was brilliant, Ayala immense, Howson incredible, Fry was solid and dependable, Spence and Coulson fantastic, Wing, Tav and Fletcher unbelievable, Saville and Clayton battled and scrapped in the middle. What an end to the year that only a few weeks ago looked impossible. Preston up next who will not be looking forward to a resurgent Boro. Congratulations and full marks to all those involved.