West Bromwich Albion 4 - Bradford City 1

Date:	Tuesday 20th September 2005
Competition:	Carling League Cup (R2)
WBA: 6.8	Kuszczak 6.5, Watson 6.0, Moore 6.0, Clement 6.0, Albrechtsen 5.9, Carter 6.3, Chaplow 6.2, Kamara 8.2 (Scimeca, 45 5.7), Greening 5.7 (Kanu, 58 9.0), Ellington 7.8, Earnshaw 7.0 Unused subs: Inamoto, Gaardsoe, Wallwork Manager: Bryan Robson 6.5
Bradford: 4.2
Scorers:	Ellington (22, 71), Kamara (32), Earnshaw (77)
Referee:	I Williamson (Berkshire) 3.8
Attendance:	10,792 Home Fans 4.9 Away Fans 5.2

Chiang Mai Baggie:

Kuszczak plays in goal, as Kirkland has a slight knock from Saturday. Curtis Davies is Cup-tied, so the real Big Dave plays alongside Clement. Albrechtsen plays left back in place of Robinson who is being rested. Carter and Chaplow play in centre midfield, with Wallwork and Inamoto on the bench. Kamara and Greening take up the flanks (not sure which sides!), and Ellington and Earnshaw start up front. Kanu and Gaardsoe make up the rest of the bench.

Albion won a free kick from 28 yards out after 1 minute, but Carter's shot was saved easily. Clement fouled Windass on 3 minutes, and Bradford crossed in. Darren Moore headed clear. Greening is playing on the right for the moment. Bradford caught Albion in possession and countered with a shot which went wide. Carter tried to break on 6 minutes, and was pulled back for a free kick by Bower, who was booked. The free kick went out for a goal kick. Bradford had another run from Petta, who shot just over the bar after being allowed to run without anyone closing him down.

Albion created well on 11 minutes, but couldn't shoot, as the final ball was just short. Schumacher shot wide after Clement tried to clear to Chaplow, and the ball was intercepted on 14 minutes. Kamara passed to Ellington, who put Earnshaw in, but was judged offside on 15 minutes. Greening hit the side netting on 16 minutes after a quick throw in by Kamara.

Albion won the first corner on 17 minutes. Kamara crossed well, but the ball went all the way through for a goal kick. Carter crossed into the box on 19 minutes, but no-one was on the end of it. Ellington ran through from a Carter ball and beat the keeper well to score his first goal for WBA on 22 minutes.

Albion pressed well on 25 minutes, and Ellington had a shot blocked. Kamara ran well on 28 minutes, but Carter's pass to him wasn't accurate enough. Kamara had a shot on 30 minutes, which the keeper spilt, but no-one gould get on the end of the loose ball. Albion won a free kick near the bye-line on 32 minutes, and Kamara headed the Carter cross straight into the net, his first goal too.

Schumacher shot over the bar from range on 33 minutes. Albion passed well in front of the Bradford goal on 36 minutes, but the keeper was able to collect. Earnshaw should have scored but the ball was cleared off the line by Bower after Carter's shot was spilt by Howarth on 37 minutes. Kamara was injured on 40 minutes, when he was caught on the back of his ankle and needed treatment. Earnshaw shot just over the bar after a good move by Chaplow on 41 minutes. Kamara looks like he'll have to go off, as he's still limping. Moore fouled Windass 25 yards from the Albion goal on 44 minutes. Windass curled the shot over the bar. Scimeca on for Kamara on 45 minutes.

2 minutes added. Bradford scored after a good build-up, Schumacher headed the cross home, coming in unmarked.

No changes at HT. Moore fouled Windass 35 yards out on 47 minutes. Albion eventually cleared the ball from the free kick after Watson tried to be too clever on the bye-line. Carter played a good ball in, and Moore was pulled back, but the ref didn't give a penalty on 50 minutes. Albion won a free kick on the edge of the area when Edghill blocked Carter's run on 52 minutes. Clement's free kick was hit hard, but wide. Bradford countered well on 54 minutes, and eventually the ball was cleared by Clement. Windass and Cooke combined well on 57 minutes, but Cooke was flagged offside. Kanu on for Greening on 58 minutes.

Petta shot well wide on 59 minutes. Earnshaw went through on 60 minutes after a good kick from Kuszczak, but shot wide of the target. Kanu played well to set up Carter to cross to Earnshaw on 61 minutes. Earnshaw had a shot saved for a corner on 63 minutes. The ref blew for a foul from the corner. Earnshaw and Chaplow combined well on 65 minutes, and the keeper put the ball out for a corner. The cross was knocked out for another corner, and there seemed to be a handball in the box, but the ref said no. Chaplow was booked for a foul as Bradford tried to break out.

Carter booked for a foul on 68 minutes. Bradford countered dangerously on 69 minutes. Scimeca shot wide after good control by Kanu on 70 minutes. Kanu passed well to Ellington to score his second on 71 minutes.

Windass volleyed over the bar on 72 minutes as Albion relaxed. Kanu created well for Earnshaw to score, sliding the ball under the keeper on 77 minutes.

Albrechtsen fouled Cooke on 80 minutes, and was sent off for a professional foul. Windass' free kick cross was cleared. Watson has moved back to cover. Kanu headed to score from a cross, but the ref ruled him offside on 84 minutes. Moore fouled Windass outside the Albion box. The shot was low and blocked. Kanu was fouled by Holloway on 87 minutes, and he was booked. Earnshaw shot just wide from a Kanu pass on 89 minutes. 3 minutes added. FT 4-1.

Finbarr:

The good, the bad and the ugly all made guest appearances at the Hawthorns as Albion secured a confidence-boosting League Cup win over Bradford City. First the ugly - Albion's ticket office have managed to keep their heads down of late, but after tonight our friendly neighbourhood postie is likely to be straining with his sack over the next few days. Arriving at about ten past seven, expecting - like many others - to queue a few minutes for a ticket, enter the ground and partake of the odd pie before kickoff, I was greeted with the sight of two massive queues stretching from the East Stand, across the car park, along the wall, back across the car park and along the front of the stand to the club shop. One was for people to buy tickets, the other for those who were collecting the ones they'd booked in advance. Half an hour later, after a great deal of collective moaning to a series of generally apathetic stewards, the queues were even longer and I was barely halfway to the front of mine. We gathered that the match must have started on time, although there were so few in the ground making any noise that it was hard to tell from outside. Exactly what options were available to those still queuing to collect their prebooked tickets - short of paying again at the turnstile - is unclear, but I suspect a lot of them must have missed at least 20 minutes of action.

Eventually, some bright spark decided that they should open some turnstiles for cash sales, so they opened the ones nearest the back of the queue so that those who'd arrived latest and joined last could get into the ground first. The rest were left to wonder what all the fuss behind them was about and debate whether to stay put or take the alternative - I chose the latter and finally took my (unticketed) seat nine minutes after kickoff.

Still, it was well worth a tenner to watch the good - Diomansy Kamara ripping Braford to pieces down the left and scoring his first Albion goal, even if it was for barely 35 minutes before he had to leave the pitch with an ankle injury. Good too were the first goals from Nathan Ellington, who gave the boss a clear demonstration of how to make use of his talents - give him a through ball to beat the offside trap and he's simply clinical. Good too was a great all-round performance from Robert Earnshaw, who seems to have learnt how to use what little size and strength he has to good effect and regularly got the better of the Bradford defence, getting a deserved goal for his effort after great approach play from Kanu, who did his best to entertain the ten thousand or so crowd with a range of tricks including balancing the ball on his foot - in fact, his fellow players seemed so impressed that, for a while, every time he passed the ball to them they simply passed it straight back again.

So that just leaves the bad. Take your pick: Junichi Inamoto sitting on the bench for the whole game when he should arguably have most, if not all of it on the pitch. Surely the removal of Kamara with an injury was the time to have brought him on? Not that Darren Carter or Richard Chaplow had bad games - in fact, Carter took some of the best corner kicks we've seen for a while and Chaplow was lively throughout, managing a few decent tricks of his own. Martin Albrechtsen - for some reason fuelling the "is he right or left footed" debate by playing at left back - sent off late in the game for what seemed from my viewpoint an innocuous shove just outside the area. The Bradford players, who saw this and started falling over at every opportunity to win fouls until the ref decided that their most theatrical effort, just in front of goal, was just too much and lost interest. And perhaps the worrying one - we only have one fit keeper at the moment.

Still, what are the chances of us having beaten Grimsby, eh?

Glynis Wright:

Welcome back to The Shrine, entertaining football - it's been so long since I last saw you there, I'd begun to despair of ever seeing the like again! What a wonderful sight, that second half, seeing Kanu ball-juggle, mesmerise, taunt, probe and pass poor Bradford out of it completely. And multitudinous gasps of pure delight and complete amazement from The Halfords whenever he did it.

Showboating it may have been, but the last time I remember such crowd-pleasing, entertaining displays from one of our own, it was Willie Johnston coming up with the goods back in the mid-to-late seventies. Wonderful to watch, tonight, although the visitors might not have agreed. I'm now speculating as to whether or not Kanu's wizardry might have stirred something deep in the soul of our manager, who was, of course, brought up in precisely the same Albion ethos - and given him the taste for more?

More likely than not, though, it'll be back to the 'usual' on Saturday. Oh well - I can dream, can't I?

BRE Baggies:

Its good to see a game where you are clearly the beter side for once. Havent seen that for about 2 years. The attendance was poor even by League cup standards but I suppose recent form didnt help bring the crowds in mass. We beat Bradford very proffesionally and I am very pleased about the game. Every player on the pitch seemed to want to prove themselves for the league games and so when the second goal went in our own players got it out of the net like they wanted to score more goals. Hopefully this will be a confidence booster ahead of the Charlton game.

Kuszczak: Never looked troubled, did all he was asked to do very well
Watson: Again showed a good performance and did his job to an acceptable level
Big Dave: Looked like he hadnt played for a while but he worked hard and made some very good challenges
Clement: Along with Big Dave stopped the Bradford front 2 causing any real threat
Albrechtsen: Played well on the left side until he got sent off. Collapsed onto a player and was last man but I am not sure if they tangled more than actually one fouling the other
Chaplow: Comfortable first half and then very good second half. Started to take on players and doing tricks, great to watch
Carter: Very good perfomnace and one to rival the Man of the Match. Worked hard and caused many problems for there defence
Kamara: Until he got injured he was the Man of the Match. Very quick and always ready to take on a player. First time I have seen him this season and I hope his injury isnt serious as he could be a first team regular
Greening: Didnt too much and although he did not have a bad performance he did not look his best. Taken of for Kanu early into second half
Earnshaw: In my opinion this was his best match for Albion. He took on players, used his pace, played some great balls over the top and scored a goal. If he was to play like this every week he would be a first team regular no doubt about it
Ellington: My Man of the Match. He worked hard and used his power (I wondered when we would see it) and his pace to cause problems. Seems to be able to beat the offside trap with ease. Good goal scorer and his passing was good enough.

Subs:

Schimeca: When he came on I was suprised as I would have like us to move Chaplow to right mid and put Inamoto on but when Schimeca came on he played very well. He out in challenges and passed the ball around like he wanted to play first team for us. One of the best performances I have seen him play. I do expect Robson will give him a try in the coming weeks based on this performance
Kanu: When he came on he played like he was on a training ground. Bradford could not handle him and there was not a person who left the Hawthorns last night who would not have said Kanu was superb. He used his skills to entertain the crowd and he set up the last 2 goals. I though he had scored and I was a bit dissapointed when it was disallowed. Best player in the second half by a mile. He played in an attcking midfield role when Albrechtsen got sent off and I wonder if it would work against premiership opposition.

If we can play like this every week we will be nowhere near the relegation zone by the end of the season.

Mat Jenkins:

It was only Bradford....

...but it was very pleasing to see us score 5 goals, OK only 4 counted but there you go.

One thing that has struck me, from a couple of reports that have been posted here, and the noises coming from the terraces last night, is that I must be the only person who doesn't rate Earnie as a top Premiership player. For instance, the ball is hoofed diagonally across the field, Earnie gets under the ball wide on the right, and quite skilfully brings the ball to a halt under his foot, "Earnie, Earnie, Earnie" shout the crowd in adulation, seeing the two Bradford defenders moving in on him he simply panicked and lost the ball.

Contrary to what I have just read, he was constantly "squeezed" out of the game, quite simply because he isn't strong enough to prevent defenders holding him off. Was there three or even four occasions when the ball was perfectly "threaded" to him and nothing came of it, only for a miscue with the outside of the boot to send the ball wayward etc. etc.

Of course Earnie did eventually score, but I wonder how many of those squandered chances he may get against teams a little better equipped than Bradford?

Good training session for the boys, and great value for the tenner I paid to get in.

Dave Watkin:

Those regular supporters who chose not to attend last night's cup tie missed one of the most entertaining games at the Hawthorns for a long while. Any evaluation of the performance must take into account that the Bantams normally operate two divisions lower than the Baggies. However, for an hour Albion played good football, created chances and were well worth their single goal lead. Then for the remainder of the game they were excellent, with Kanu orchestrating play with any number of fine touches.

There were first goals of the season for Nathan Ellington, Diomansy Kamara and Rob Earnshaw, but it was Ellington's superb second which will stay in the memory longest. Kamara was well on the way towards clinching man-of-the-match before exiting with an injury, Darren Carter played well throughout, the combination of Earnshaw and Ellington also impressed, but I give the award to Kanu for his fine cameo performance.

Bryan Robson is left with a selection problem for Saturday. He'll no doubt bring back Kirkland, Davies, Robinson and Gera, but will he find room for last night's top performers or revert to the other three "rested" players. It will be very interesting to see whether the formation employed during the last half-an-hour will be used for either all or part of our next Premiership fixture.

TEAM NEWS

There were wholesale changes to the team. Only four players who began the match at Sunderland were in the starting line-up, which included all five substitutes from that game. Darren Carter was also recalled, along with "Big Dave", making his first appearance of the season in place of cup-tied "Small Dave". There was no keeper on the bench, with Chris Kirkland reported to be suffering from a minor injury.

HIGHLIGHTS

Albion made a confident opening and took the lead in the 23rd minute. Darren Carter hooked on a headed clearance from Darren Moore and NATHAN ELLINGTON raced between the last two defenders, took his time to control the bouncing ball and calmly slotted his shot past the advancing keeper.

After 33 minutes Darren Carter made a second goal for the Baggies. From near the right hand corner flag he curled in a free kick and DIOMANSY KAMARA rose to head powerfully home from the edge of the six yard box.

Albion suffered two setbacks at the close of the half. Kamara who was making an impressive home debut picked up a knock and was substituted by Riccardo Scimeca and then in the added injury time Bradford pulled a goal back when SCHUMACHER headed home an inswinging right wing cross.

The Baggies looked fairly comfortable during the opening quarter-of-an-hour of the second half, until the tempo and entertainment value was upped by the introduction of Kanu for Greening and a switch to a 4-3-1-2 formation, with the Nigerian playing just behind the two strikers.

Kanu proceeded to direct play with a succession of simple yet subtle passes. The clinching goal in the 72nd minute was exquisite as Kanu stroked the ball through a gap in the defence and NATHAN ELLINGTON waited for the keeper to commit before chipping over him into the net.

In the 77th minute Kanu wrong footed the defence as he cut the ball back to ROB EARNSHAW, who took a touch before stabbing the ball past the goalkeeper.

The referee had upset the crowd earlier in the half by failing to spot a blatant tug on Darren Moore in the penalty area. He angered fans further by disallowing a header from Kanu, which would have been just reward for a fine performance. Then eight minutes from time with the game all but over, Martin Albrechtsen brought down Windass on the edge of the area with a clumsy rather than malicious tackle. Despite protests from the Bradford forward, he showed the defender a red rather than the yellow card which would have been more appropriate.

ALBION FORMRATE : VERY GOOD

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH : KANU