West Brom 0 Plymouth 0 - Report
Albion had to settle for a point on their return to Championship action as newly-promoted Plymouth claimed a deserved point from The Hawthorns.
A third stalemate in 12 league games this term carried a similar theme to the efforts against Bristol City and Millwall, in that Carlos Corberan's side improved after a dire first half but didn't do enough to win the game.
Injuries issues to attacking players were laid bare at The Hawthorns, with Albion down to the bare bones in that department, with little in reserve to influence from the bench.
But most under-performed in a lacklustre and ponderous first period in which Steven Schumacher's vibrant, plucky and talented Pilgrims were much the better side, hit the woodwork and caused Alex Palmer problems. They remain winless on the road, with a struggle to convert bright play into goals clearly evident.
Albion's best moment came seconds into the second half but Grady Diangana was denied from close range. That aside there was very little to shout about from an attacking perspective. Young Tom Fellows once again added some much-needed tempo from the bench.
Nathaniel Chalobah was a surprise inclusion from the off. He and many team-mates were well below-par in the first half but Chalobah especially improved after the break. Corberan, though, will be frustrated to see his side not do enough to merit all three points.
Albion, patched-up in areas, will not be able to afford many more of those performances in this cluster of matches before the break next month to stay on the coat-tails of the top six. They do, however, climb two places to ninth.
Corberan may not be blessed with many attacking options at the moment but he did pull off a midfield surprise in his selection for the Pilgrims.
Chalobah was included from the off in place of Okay Yokuslu for a first start in the league since the opening day at Blackburn Rovers. Yokuslu and Jayson Molumby were substitutes.
Albion's injury issues have really blighted the forward line, but they offered an opportunity for 18-year-old Akeel Higgins, a winger, to be included in the matchday squad for the first time. He's a regular for the under-21s. Fellows is Albion's other attacking option in reserve.
Word was that bright and vibrant Plymouth were worthy of more than their 18th position ahead of kick-off - and that proved to be exactly the case in the opening stages at The Hawthorns as Schumacher's men showed no fear and attacked Albion, who looked like they didn't know what had hit them.
Both Alex Mowatt and Erik Pieters were drawn into important early clearances before the visitors went within inches of a deserved early lead. Argyle dangerman Morgan Whittaker, formerly of Derby, got on the end of a flowing move and sent an effort crashing on to the left post from the right corner of the box with Alex Palmer motionless.
Palmer was forced into a save from an angled Ryan Hardie drive as the Pilgrims looked everything Albion weren't - bright, sharp, vibrant and fearless.
Albion's one real moment of the half came and went as Mowatt refused a first-time shot from Matt Phillips' low pass into the box. Mowatt eventually got a shot away but it was more easily defended.
Plymouth continued to come and show they weren't afraid of a first clash at The Hawthorns for 13 years. Albion went some way to getting to grips with their visitors by switching to 4-4-2, as the hard-working Jed Wallace joined Brandon Thomas-Asante up front. The latter fed off scraps and looked low on confidence again.
A number of Albion players were too slow and ponderous. The hosts were lethargic when with the ball, where Plymouth were the opposite. Pieters struggled with his passes, Kyle Bartley, Chalobah and Mowatt struggled.
Plymouth, though, were lucky skipper Jordan Houghton avoided two yellow cards before the break. He was booked for a cynical latter incident but was lucky to avoid a caution for a clumsy late foul on Matt Phillips.
Albion were indebted to Palmer to be level at the break as he made a fine save with an outstretched left leg to deny Villa loan right-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden, who was free in the box after another neat move.
Corberan's men needed a response after the break and got it.
They had to score barely 30 seconds into the second period as Phillips sent Wallace clear down the left. His cross picked out Grady Diangana unmarked six yards out but the winger couldn't sort his feet and get a shot away. A key moment came and went.
Albion were the better team second half and were led by Chalobah, who looked fired up and was much improved on the first period.
His storming challenge fed Diangana, who fired narrowly wide of the right post from distance via a deflection.
Corberan turned to Conor Townsend for the struggling Pieters and Molumby for Chalobah. Both did well when introduced, the latter spurned a decent chance from the edge of the box after a half-cleared corner.
An Argyle sub, Mustapha Bundu, saw an angled effort from distance palmed wide by Palmer in Plymouth's only real threat of the half.
A late Baggies spark might have brought the winner as Molumby headed a corner on, but a diving Thomas-Asante or substitute Semi Ajayi could not can't convert at the back post as time almost stood still.
Albion's real injection of a badly-lacking urgency and tempo came through youngster Fellows. The academy graduate winger put in his second successive bright cameo. He reached the byline and whipped in a couple of decent balls, but there was very little sign of any end product ready to convert for the Baggies.
The contest was broken up late on by a flurry of cautions from referee Stephen Martin, but Albion badly lacked the urgency required to really push for a winner and the biggest Hawthorns attendance of the season, on the club's Foundation Day, were left uninspired, with the away end rapturous at full-time.
Teams
Albion (3-4-3): Palmer; Kipre, Bartley (Ajayi, 77), Pieters (Townsend, 59); Furlong, Chalobah (Molumby, 66), Mowatt (Yokuslu, 77), Phillips; Wallace, Thomas-Asante, Diangana (Fellows, 77).
Subs not used: Griffiths, Taylor, Pipa, Higgins.
Plymouth Argyle (3-4-2-1): Cooper; Kesley-Hayden, Gibson, Scarr, Miller; Randell, Houghton (c) (Cundle, 65), Azaz; Whittaker, Hardie, Mumba (Butcher, 87).
Subs not used: Hazard, Gillesphey, Pleguezuelo, Edwards, Warrington, Waine.
Attendance: 24,736 (1,985 Plymouth fans)
Referee: Stephen Martin
