"The neutrals were, again, full of praise for Albion but that was little concilation for all connected with the club who seemed to see the same story over and over"
As Albion welcomed Middlebrough to The Hawthorns, Jason Koumas was the star of the show with the youngster being involved in nearly all of Albion’s attacks. Like so many other games, Albion had their chances but failed to make them count or so they thought. Danny Dichio returned to the first team and scored the winner on the 72nd minute after several quick successive shots bounced to Dichio 8-yards out where the finished the ball past Schwarzer.
Albion seemed to have a TV course as they travelled to White Hart Lane and went down to first half goals from Christian Ziege and Robbie Keane. A 73rd minute Scott Dobie goal got the baggies back into the game but Gus Poyet settled the game 10 minutes later.
Albion had yet another
Midlands derby where
Albion travelled to Villa
Park where a Darius
Vassell goal put Villa in
front but a beautiful
curling effort from Jason
Koumas put the visitors
back in the game mid-way
through the first half. The
home side were reduced
to 10 men when Steve
Staunton received a
red-card after his
deliberate and blatant
elbow on Dichio in the
second half. The game looked destined for a point but Albion were left bamboozled when an injury 30 yard Thomas Hitzlesperger strike took a deflection and gave Villa the 2-1 victory.
In the big relegation game at the hawthorns, Danny Dichio gave Albion an 27th minute over Sunderland in only his second start of the season. Jason Koumas doubled Albion’s lead through a right footed free-kick on the 32nd minute. A second half double from future Baggie Kevin Phillips in the second half pegged Albion back as the game finished 2-2, keeping The Baggies 2 points head of Sunderland.
As Albion welcomed Arsenal to the hawthorns, Albion drew first blood as Danny Dichio replicated his goal against Sunderland as the big striker powered in a Jason Koumas corner in the second minute of the game to give Albion another early
lead. A close-range Francis Jeffers effort brought Arsenal back into the game in the early stages of the second half after Albion went into the break with the lead. A late mistake by Adam Chambers let Thierry Henry through on goal and he didn’t
need asking twice as the
Frenchman put a cool
finish past Keeper
Russell Hoult on the 85th
minute. The neutrals and
opposition were, again,
full of praise for Albion
but that was little
conciliation for all
connected with the club
who seemed to see the
same story over and
over; a good
performance not merited
with what it deserved,
the three points.
Albion travelled to Charlton in their last game in the calendar year where Kevin Lisbie headed in a right-sided corner when Russell Hoult came out of his goal and failed to claim the ball. Gary Megson was full of praise for his battling Baggies but was left wondering how he could turn his team’s good performances into wins.
Albion welcomed a cup break as they entertained Division One strugglers, Bradford City. Albion took yet another early lead as he headed home after 3 minutes. This was the first of his 19-minute hat-trick which settled the tie early on in the first half. This game showed that The Baggies can get the goals that they needed. Bradford grabbed a late conciliation through from a close range effort after a Bradford free-kick rattled of the bar.
Albion returned to Premiership football in usual territory where Jason Koumas finish a good run