Analysis: West Brom rediscover fight to hit back and end drought
Well, that was some comeback against the odds.
Following Albion on the road for the last three months has been a misery as performance levels hit the buffer and Carlos Corberan’s side subsequently edged further from play-off contention.
Key first-team regulars also continued to drop. Albion’s squad looked deep enough from a quantity perspective, but a lack of quality had come to the fore.
Incredible form at The Hawthorns and home wins alone – there have been no shortage of those – didn’t look like enough to mount a serious top six challenge.
Seven games on the road without a win, six defeats and a draw, appeared to have unravelled the stunning run of results earlier in the Spaniard’s reign.
There can’t have been many of the 2,500 Baggies in Stoke City’s bet365 Stadium at half-time on Saturday confident that run was coming to an end.
Corberan’s side found themselves 1-0 down and another player down. Jacob Brown’s well-taken header after more statuesque defending from a swift Potters counter had the hosts deservedly ahead. Alex Neil’s hosts looked sharper and more confident than their visitors.
To make matters much worse, midway through 11 minutes of stoppage time for a lengthy Ben Wilmot injury, Albion striker Daryl Dike’s leg buckled as he tried to twist. It would turn out to be a damaged Achilles after the American was stretchered off and the potential of months of rehab.
That was a lot to contend with for Corberan, his staff, players and in particular the swarms of Baggies behind the goal next to the corner tunnel in the Potteries.
But boy did everybody come out swinging.
Some fight, passion, commitment and character sadly missing from the last two games, the dreadful Easter double-header against Rotherham and QPR, came flooding back.
There was one goal hero, a double-goal hero, Jayson Molumby, who epitomises that second-half fightback.
The Republic of Ireland international midfielder was fit to start. Well, he was able to start – but only having taken a painkilling injection to the ankle he rolled in training on Friday, which he limped out of. This was all while managing a groin issue from international duty.
Goals are arguably the most ‘unnatural’ part of Molumby’s game. He is there to break up, destroy, irritate and antagonise – he is there to run further, harder and faster than any midfield counterparts.
The 23-year-old’s third and fourth goals of the campaign will not win any goal-of-the-season awards when all is said and done – they were scrambled him from a combination of about five yards out – but Corberan argued they were “the most important yet” of his near-six month tenure.
Albion deserve credit for fighting back to claim a potentially priceless three points in the play-off race. It looked beyond them at half-time. Stoke’s only fight was with referee Andy Woolmer, indeed angry midfielder Ben Pearson was dismissed for two stoppage-time yellows.
“Facing adversity,” as Corberan put it. There has been body blow after body blow of late and at times Albion have wilted and shrunk. This time they stood up to the battle.
A frustration in recent weeks has been that, while the Baggies have passed up points, so have rivals with many of the sides battling for fifth and sixth (third and fourth appear all-but wrapped up) wobbling.
There was a spark in quality this time as Stoke stuttered. Look at Karlan Grant, nowhere in recent weeks and months, but a threat having replaced Dike.
And there was real unity and feeling in the celebration, both between the players and fans and head coach. It had been a tortuous three months and one day on Albion’s travels.
Saturday’s morale-boosting win cut the gap to sixth from five points to three and Albion hold a game in hand on most competitors, aside from Blackburn in sixth.
The reality is three points in Staffordshire will mean precious little if Corberan’s side are unable to back it up with another on the road at lowly Blackpool tomorrow.
The Seasiders look doomed but pocketed a first win for a while by seeing off the only side below them, Wigan, 1-0 at Bloomfield Road.
That will put a spring in the managerless hosts’ step for tomorrow evening but even depleted Albion should have far too much for the second-poorest side in the division this term. That is not though, sadly, how it works, just ask lowly Rotherham who humbled the Baggies recently.
Heading to Stoke, Albion knew the likelihood is they needed to be pretty much perfect from thereon in to stand any chance.
It is the best possible start but came at a price in losing Dike. Considering strong rivals are to come – Sunderland and Norwich at home either side of Sheffield United away – Blackpool is not the place for a daft slip-up.
