[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

With spring in the air, the B's are swarming for Albion this week with a brace of bostin' battles versus Birmingham and Bournemouth. It was under Steve Bruce that the Blues last tasted success against the Baggies way back in October 2006; since then, the eight league matches and one cup tie between the sides have yielded six Albion wins and three draws, our most sustained spell of derby dominance since the 1980s. Currently winless in three, though presumably safe from relegation for one more year, Birmingham are particularly susceptible to defeat if they concede first, having recovered only four points all season from losing positions; the lowest tally in the Championship. Nevertheless, the combination of a derby game and a Sunday match - Albion are winless on the Sabbath since July 2020 - may make this encounter a little more unpredictable than we'd like.

Bournemouth then visit the Hawthorns next Wednesday with a promotion position to consolidate. Logic says that what we did to Fulham on home soil we can also do to the Cherries, though they may be a bit less casual in their approach. Anything is really a bonus in this one, but four points from the two games overall would keep the playoffs just in sight and give us something to aim at in the season's closing weeks.