COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From My Seat: West Brom (A)

By Ken Buckley :  23/08/2008 :  Comments (8) :

Three precious points gained from a game that turned on one second half purple patch with a goal of quality and a goal of opportunism.

The first half was dire from a Blue perspective with the Baggies having all of the play but luckily without any quality in the final third. Both Baxter and Rodwell started so just nine senior pro's and in that first half they played like strangers.

Continually giving the ball away with poor passes which was strange considering the high visibility shirts being paraded. There were times when it looked like a game of attack and defence but unlike last week Lescott and Yobo were strong especially Yobo who must have had headache by half time considering the number of clearing headers he made.

No player looked completely on their game and this was borne out by having just on shot on their goal which Osman scuffed wide.

At the other end with more composure the hosts could have had a lead,as it was Howard wasn't overworked and there best chance was when Miller put a close range header wide.

To get to half time on terms seemed a bonus.

The second half started with a right onslaught by the home team and the home fans roared them on with a cacophony of sound,the Blues assembled responded in true fashion but for fifteen minutes I wondered not if but when would they crack our rearguard.

Then on the hour mark the manager withdrew Baxter and sent on Vaughan in move that seemed designed to give a bit of support to Yak and try to stem the tide further up the pitch. Not a lot changed for a few minutes then it was if a switch had been thrown that transformed our players from hoofballers and misplaced passers into a slick quality passing side.

All of sudden passes started to find there mark,moves were put together the home crowd were muted a little and from one of these moves a corner was gained. This time Arteta missed the first man and Rodwell rose and planted the ball in the net, the wild cheers stuck in the throat as the Ref. ruled it out and by his signal seemed to indicate that Jack had climbed on his marker,from my seat I didn't agree but I dont matter. Was that our chance gone ? No.

Within a couple of minutes the ball was fed to Artetas feet and he didn't put in the regulation cross as he must have spotted the run of Osman,he fed him to perfection,one touch and a shot across the keeper saw us one up.

We were now in the ascendecy and it was the Blue fans voices being heard. The home team tried to respond and forced a corner,the ball fell to one of their players who struck it well but brought a good save from Howard.

Within minutes Lescott reverted to hoofball right up the middle,it travelled many yards and bounced near the eighteen yard line,the keeper was on his way out,the centre-back was running back with the Yak in hot pusuit,the ball bounced up between keeper and centre-back,Yak jumped first and nodded over both of them sending the ball into the net, it was quite comical but two up non the less.

We were now seeing the game out nicely but in the last minute Neville was twisted and turned and the pass seemed to strike him and the Ref. had no hesitation in giving the Penalty. Howard went the wrong way and a nice clean sheet had gone.

We saw out injury time by keeping the ball rather than hoofing it and the final whistle was celebrated by all of a Blue persuasion.
Overall I thought for as much as we had been battered in the end the quality that is left in this squad was the difference in terms of taking limited chances.

I was proud of the lads today considering our position in that they obviously know we are short and could easily have taken the attitude of it's not our fault. I made Joe Yobo man of the match for his performance over the full game.

Today I thought wasn't a case of papering over the cracks but rather a clear message that five,six or even seven players are required within a week to give the squad a chance of competing in fifty to sixty matches which would be required for us to have a good go in all competitions and another good season.
Near the end our hoards were singing 'Two nil and we have signed no-one'

Maybe a leaf should be taken from the Eddie Grant song book and belt out 'GIVE US HOPE BILLKENNA,GIVE US HOPE'.

Pompey next and I wonder what the line-up might look like? Hmmm...

All together now, GIVE U..............

See you Sat.

UP THE BLUES

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