Sports Babble - sports forum

v



LAST TIME OUT

BRISTOL CITY 0 WBA 3


Demolition of play our off rivals even though Albion played out the latter period of the game after Sawyers was sent off, our ex Robinson was on the mark for the Baggies seems to be doing well for them
PNE 2 HULL CITY 1


LAST TIME AT THE HAWTHORNS
WBA 4 PNE 1


Neal gate match were we never competed still think the off field scenario played a big partin this debacle

FORM GUIDE MAX 25

WBA 19 PNE 14

A tough night awaits at the blue stadium on top of the high, the Baggies have got away at the top and with all but a dozen games to go will take some catching, one xxxx in their armour appears to be their home form which is slightly patchy but it will take a good performance from North End to get something from this game.
Baggies signed Callum on loan from the Blades as well as Grosicki from Hull on a permanent deal for about £800,000. Sawyers starts a three match ban, but I'm sure if the score is level going into the latter stages of the game they can bring on someone to fall over in the area as happened in the original game!!!!!!!!!!!

Mind you the one we got against Hull was soft, swings and roundabouts.

Stockley to start for me, hazard a guess Harrop will not be fit, touch and go whether Johnson will be fit, may leave us a bit short in midfield.

West Bromwich (/ˈbrɒmɪtʃ/ (About this soundlisten) BROM-itch) is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is 6.4 miles (10.3 km) northwest of Birmingham. West Bromwich is part of the area known as the Black Country, in terms of geography, culture, and dialect.[3] West Bromwich had a population of almost 78,000 in 2018.[4][2]

Initially a rural village, West Bromwich’s growth corresponded with that of the Industrial Revolution, owing to the area's natural richness in ironstone and coal, as well as its proximity to canals and railway branches.[5] It led to the town becoming a centre for coal mining, brick making, the iron industry, and metal trades such as nails, springs, and guns. The town’s primary economy developed into engineering, manufacturing, and the automotive industry through the early 20th century.[6] During the Second World War, West Bromwich experienced bombing from the German Luftwaffe.[7][8] It also suffered heavily during recessions in the mid 1970s, early 1980s, and late 2000s.[9]

The town is known for its football club, West Bromwich Albion, who have played in the town since the club's formation in 1878.[10] It is also home to parts of Sandwell Valley Country Park and Sandwell Valley RSPB nature reserve.[11]

Match Officials: West Bromwich Albion Away


It had been almost three year’s since we last saw Tuesday night’s match official when he came to Deepdale in October, but now he is in charge for the second time in six months
The referee is Kevin Friend, who has taken charge of some of the Premier League’s biggest games in recent years. In fact, since refereeing our 1-1 home draw with Leeds United in October, he has taken charge of Manchester United three times, Liverpool twice and Manchester City three times, including his last game, their 2-0 home win over David Moyes’ West Ham United last week.

His last trip to PR1 before the Leeds game was in December 2016, when he oversaw North End’s 3-2 home win over Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers, in front of the Sky TV cameras, when Daniel Johnson’s brace was key to the win.

Prior to that he was no stranger to east-west Lancashire derby matches – as the select group referee took charge of both of the 2015/16 season’s North End-Burnley games, at both Turf Moor and Deepdale.
He was also the match official for a controversial affair back in the 2010/11 season between the Lilywhites and Burnley, where Darren Ferguson’s Lilywhites went 3-1 up, but saw Billy Jones sent off for taking a mere matter of seconds over a throw in, allowing the home side to come back and win 4-3.

This then led to a three-match touchline ban for Ferguson after a confrontation with the official in the tunnel, where a brawl had ensued post-match.

However, his last game in charge at Deepdale prior to that was a much happier occasion, when Graham Alexander had a fairy tale ending to his career with his last-minute free kick against Charlton Athletic on the last day of the 2011/12 season.

This will be his 14th game refereeing North End in his 17th season on the professional lists, his first being way back in April 2006; a 2-0 home win over Wolves.

This season he has refereed 25 games thus far, issuing 77 cautions and five red cards. He will be assisted by Simon Beck and Adrian Holmes, whilst experienced official Dean Whitestone will be the fourth official.

A major road leading to West Bromwich Albion's The Hawthorns stadium is still not open ahead of Preston North End's visit to the club tonight (8pm).

An unsafe building closed the A41 Birmingham Road yesterday because of an issue with a factory roof between Middlemore Road and Halfords Lane.

A medical emergency stopped trams between West Bromwich and Birmingham too, before the A41 Closure further added to travel woes.

Those services have restarted, but the road is still shut.

On a ground were we usually get sod all last night we got sod all, have no complaints about the result against a side who will be in the top division next season, the only disappointment though is the fact that both goals could really have been defended better but in saying that Rudd made four excellent saves to deny the home side.
Fisher's sending off looked from were a was but apparently we may be appealing it, but we shall see on that one.
First the good news won the football card on the coach so the trip cost me £15, we went  through a touch of snow which was still falling until right up to kick off and we got there so early that I managed to walk around the ground four times.

Seem to remember from last season the Lord's prayer painted on the ain stand however this has now gone to be replaced by signs for Sadler's Peaky Blinder Lager, though as the ramp up to the kick off began, the first verse of the Lord's prayer was put on the advertising boards at the same time as playing the film score of the Omen.
Johnson although being rated highly doubtful made a return as aso in came Nugent for Gallagher and Harrop, good quick start by both sides but Albion took an early lead Robinson cross from the left Robson-Kanu chested the ball down and scored past Rudd without any defender reactig quick enough.
Following the goal up to a point we didn't play badly between the two penalty areas but we rarely threated Johnstone in the Albion goal, but a marked difference was the speed of Albion's break as soon as we gave the ball away which we did on numerous times, Albion raced down field with the excellent Peirera involved in everything, class player this lad.
Our ex Robinson forced two great saves from Rudd, he was also denied by a great tackle by Bauer, we managed to survive until just before the break, again we lost the ball and it eventually found it's way to Robinson this time on the right his cross was again chested down by Robson-Kanu as the ball ran free Livermore's left footed strike found the bottom corner, game over.

The second half was damage limitations although if we had managed to get one back could have been interesting but once Fisher had gone for his lunge on Robinson there was little chance of that. Rudd made a great save from Austin and Harper pinged the top of the bar.
Not the only side to lose here this season and probably won't be the last.
Onto the banks of the Thames on Saturday for another tough task against Fulham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbwKuaYJwmw

West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic told BBC WM 95.6:

"We were playing against a team that is normally one of the top in the league. We got the ball in good areas and showed our technique on the ball. That was key.

"We were simply on another level today. Hal [Robson-Kanu] is a striker where his game doesn't depend on whether he's going to score or not because he's playing as a number 10.

"When he scores it's magnificent and the whole season he's been a top performer for us."

Preston North End manager Alex Neil:

"I think the biggest disappointment is the cheapness of the goals that we conceded but you have to give them credit as well, they are a quality side.

"We were going to have to play extremely well, be clinical and defend really well to get anything tonight. I didn't think we were clinical enough and we didn't defend our box well enough.

"We need to put this one behind us now because we have some big games coming up."