Plymouth Argyle 0 - West Bromwich Albion 1

Dave Watkin:

Battling Baggies punish Pilgrims

In a hard fought match against Plymouth Argyle, on an awful Home Park pitch, Albion took the lead midway through the second half. Then, despite spurning a chance to make the game safe from the penalty spot and being reduced to ten men, the Baggies held on to take all three points.

After five unchanged teams in a row, Roberto Di Matteo made four alterations for our second away game in four days. With Marek Cech injured, Joe Mattock was the obvious replacement. Gianni Zuiverloon, Abdoulaye Meite and Simon Cox were reintroduced as direct replacements for Gonzalo Jara, Jonas Olsson and Robert Koren who all reverted to the bench, as Albion retained a 4-5-1 formation.

It was clear well before the half hour mark that this was not going to be a classic. The pitch was limiting Albion’s usual free flowing football and it was not until late in the half that we had a significant strike on goal, Roman Bednar cutting inside, shrugging off a challenge and firing low, only for keeper Stockdale to get down quickly and make a one handed save. In front of the home fans, Mackie took on Tamas in the penalty area, but despite appeals from behind the goal, the referee waved aside penalty claims.

The home side engineered a chance from a long throw early in the second period, but Mackie fired high and wide. It took an exceptional pass to open up the Argyle defence for the only goal of the game in the 66th minute. Graham Dorrans picked out Jerome Thomas wide left, he made ground before centring to the back post, Roman Bednar nodded inside and Simon Cox was on the spot to volley home from close range. For the second game in a row, we were awarded an 83rd minute penalty. Chris Brunt fired a fierce low drive from outside the area which Stockdale couldn’t hold. The ball ran loose to McNamee, but he failed to control it and when Luke Moore nipped in, he brought him down. Graham Dorrans stepped up for his fifth penalty in as many games, but for the first time he switched sides and Stockdale guessed correctly to push the ball out. The match was in the balance again. However, it was Albion who threatened as 90 minutes approached when, on the edge of the area, Jerome Thomas beat Johnson with pace and skill, only to be scythed down by a dreadful cynical tackle. The referee showed only yellow and in the first minute of added time, Thomas, clearly still riled, lunged in on McNamee and this time Steve Tanner produced a red card. An unsightly scuffle resulted, involving players and touchline staff, but when play resumed Albion saw out time.

The match was a throw back to the nineteen-seventies. An awful pitch, so unusual these days, maybe encouraged the crunching tackles on Thomas which the lenient Tanner let pass without, in the case of Johnson, showing the red card he merited for almost cutting the winger in half. Hence the retaliation, ala Willie Johnson. Surely, in the modern game referees are supposed to protect skilful players.

It’s almost invidious to pick out individuals in a battling team performance. Graham Dorrans demonstrated class, Youssouf Mulumbu epitomised the team’s spirit, Simon Cox took his chance well, Roman Bednar led the line strongly, but with the importance of a clean sheet, my man-of-the-match award goes to Gabriel Tamas.

STATISTICS

Albion have now won five successive games against Argyle and are unbeaten in all six matches played between the two clubs over the last four seasons. What a contrast to our historical record against the Pilgrims! In the first twenty-five league encounters, beginning in the 1930-31 season, we won only five times in total! What’s more our league record at Home Park was abysmal. We lost the first match 5-1 and won only once in seventy-six years, by 2-1 on Saturday 12th March 1949, with goals from Dave Walsh and Billy Elliott.

ALBION FORMRATE: GOOD

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: GABRIEL TAMAS

Albion remain 2nd, after Newcastle and Forest both won at home this weekend.

A Sunday bonus, ex-Albion striker Kevin Phillips scored his ninth and tenth goals against Wolves; as the Blues came back from a goal down to win 2-1. The scourge of the Wanderers netted four times for the Baggies in four 2006-07 Black Country Derbies, once in the FA Cup and three times in the Championship Play-off Semi-Finals.

Hippothirteen:

We played pretty well today, and brought 2000 fans in a crowd of 12,000 - so a good noise from the Baggies. The pitch was truly awful, it cut up badly and passing was very hit and miss - so it was never going to be pretty.

We controlled the first half, but seemd to lack the last pass. Brunt favoured the diagonal ball to Cox, and nearly got in on a couple of occasions. Argyle were basically rubbish - no chances at all. In the second half we stepped it up a gear and deservedly took the lead on 65 minutes, the ball broke loose and Cox slotted in from the edge of the box (mind you it was at the other end of the pitch so couldn't honestly say whether it was a cracker or a regulation score). Argyle then resorted to route 1, the tackles started flying in and players on both sides were booked.

The ref was pants. Challenges against our lot were not spotted, and this was gradually getting the west Brom players more and more insensed. Mulumbu already booked made way for Jara, Moore came on (why boo him before he has even kicked the ball?) and we settled down for a busy last 10 minutes. Foul in the their box, penalty... step up Dorrans who decided to hit it to the goalies right at a decent height - saved - bugger. Then aerial bombardment from them for the last 5 minutes. Thomas got sent off but had been niggling all match so probably had little to complain about.

A few comments. Tamas and Meite played very well and had the Argyle forwards in thier pocket all match. Mattock was good too, Dorrans was everywhere. Bruntie still looks out of sorts (though the pitch was terrible) but occasionally had flashes of brilliance. Carson had little to do, but, how bad is his kicking? In golfing terms he has a nasty slice and puts everything out to his right, work on this please.

Still will always take a win, and living in Devon, work will be good on Monday. Boing boing!

Malcolm Warrilow:

Satisfying to get a win again away from home-and even more so as it's against Plymouth. I've no sympathy for them because of that irritating Paul Whitehouse Aviva advert. Green Army!? Blue and white army mate!