Darnell Furlong channelling derby heartbreak to be fired up for Wolves

Having got themselves 2-1 up with only stoppage time to play, the Baggies really should have beaten Villa on Sunday.

But a defensive error allowed substitute Keinan Davis to nip in and earn a point for Dean Smith’s side.

That strike was another hammer blow to Albion’s hopes of staying in the Premier League – with the team now sitting nine points from safety with just five games remaining.

But while the team left Villa Park feeling robbed of two points, they don’t have any time to feel sorry for themselves with the Baggies facing Wolves in a Black Country derby on Monday.

And Furlong has vowed he and his team mates will fight to win the game and keep alive their hopes of staying in the Premier League.

“We put everything into the Villa game,” he said. “We had a bad start going 1-0 down but then the boys showed unbelievable fight to level the game and then to go ahead.

“We weren’t happy with how we played against Leicester so we knew important the game against Villa was for our season.

“It was a heartbreaking moment at the end after the effort we put in.

“But if we continue showing fight like that then there’s definitely still a chance for us. You can see how hard we tried and the gaffer said he couldn’t fault us for our efforts.

“Now we go again to try and get the result in the next game.

“The boys played their hearts out, but if we play how we did against Villa then we’re going to get results.

“Everyone can see how much we’re fighting right now and that’s not going to stop.

“We’ve got a big game against Wolves next so we will recover and be ready to go again.”

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Sam Johnstone continues to be linked with a return to Manchester United.

The Preston-born shot-stopper was first spotted by United as a youngster and was promptly snapped up by their academy.

Johnstone enjoyed nine years at Old Trafford before leaving the club to join Albion on a permanent basis in 2018.

This year the goalkeeper has gone on to shine in the Premier League with his impressive performances earning him a call-up to the senior England side.

With just one year left on his contract, it is expected Johnstone will leave the Baggies at the end of the season if they are relegated back to the Championship.

And reports have again emerged suggesting he is the number one goalkeeping target for Man United when the transfer window reopens.

Having recently lost his place as number one, David de Gea could leave Old Trafford this summer.

And that means United will be in the market for another keeper to compete with Dean Henderson for a starting spot.