West Bromwich Albion 2 - Stoke City 1

Summary:

Albion made it a very Happy New Year by winning their second game in a row, and against Stoke City as well. With Victor Anichebe and Jonas Olsson still injured following Monday's win over Newcastle, surely the stage was set for Berahino to win a starting place - but Rickie Lambert was chosen instead, suggesting the young striker's time at Albion must surely be drawing to a close.

Albion started brightly, having several shots in quick succession but didn't take the lead until the hour mark thanks to a delightfully fast move that led to James Morrison setting up Stephane Sessegnon to fire past Jack Butland.

Stoke pulled one back twenty minutes later, however, when substitute Jonathan Walters inevitably slipped through Albion's back line to head home, but almost immediately afterwards they played into Albion's hands again when Geoff Cameron saw red for a fairly innocuous slap on Claudio Yacob. Albion responded by bringing Berahino on for Craig Gardner and Callum McManaman for Yacob and their effort was rewarded in the third minute of added time when McManaman crossed and the ball fell to Jonny Evans to finish.

The win saw Albion climb the table for the first time in weeks into a respectable twelfth place, level with Everton and three behind Stoke and Watford. Fascinatingly, Tony Pulis has been involved in eleven matches between these two teams and has only lost once!

Talyllyn Baggie:

I must admit that I wasn't looking forward to this game, seeing how Stoke are playing currently, but how wrong I was!

Their forwards were stifled by a team who collectively put in a magnificent and determined performance. I thought Lambert led the line with some intelligent hold up play & lay offs but did tire towards the end, when some mistakes crept in. Man of the match was Sess, who seemed to be everywhere and I was so pleased to see him score.

At this rate we won't be performing our annual act of charity to the Villa in three weeks time, you know, the one where we rollover and give them that glimmer of hope to survive.

Onwards and upwards.

Mark Koppel:

We always beat Stoke City!

Apart from the first 20 minutes the Team played really well today and deserved to win. It did take a sending off though to give Pulis the confidence to bring on his 2 most attacking players and I think this move did win us the game. Otherwise I think we could have won by more and earlier.

Player ratings:

• Myhill 7 - To be fair did all the basics, like tip overs and kicks from back passes, to the letter of the law.
• Dawson 6 - Hard into all his challenges but does need to learn how to pass accurately.
• Evans 8 - What a player. Even the biggest Pulis critics must acknowledge this is a great signing. Great reading of the game to be where he was to score the most enjoyable winner since Villa at home in April 2011.
• McAuley 7- As Myhill did everything today without fault.
• Brunt 5 - Pretty good defensively but his crosses today were inconsistent.
• Morrison 8.5 - Just slightly ahead of Evans and Sess today for MOM. Chased back to defend when needed and put a sublime left foot pass forward to Sess for the first goal. He was the quality midfielder today that Stoke did not have.
• Sess 8 - Continues with the best sustained spell of form since he joined West Brom. He also keeps going now for 90 mins which he didn't use to. Hats off to Pulis for how he has motivated him.
• Fletcher 7 - I have noticed a few times now that he often starts very slowly. Once on the ball he grows into the game which he did again today. Brilliant chase back and set up for Sess goal.
• Gardner 7 - Like many fans I have struggled to see what he offers up to now. Today I thought was just about his best game. Stopped Johnson overlapping second half and I think he also got 2-3 strikes on target.
• Yacob 6 - Many useful tackles in the first half and more positive passing than normal. Unfortunately struggled second half and at one point gave the ball away 3 times in a mad 5 minute spell.
• Lambert The Lump 4 - Oh dear. Alright when the ball is played to him and lays it off quite nicely. But cannot jump, run, or score. When he gets his one golden chance he treads on the ball again.

Subs:

• Saido 6.5 - Needed to come on earlier for The Lump. His presence in the right area of the pitch gave Stoke much more to deal with and contributed towards our winning goal.
• Calum 7 - Also not on for long enough. He is a real attacking threat when used and his persistence set up the winner. As per Saido, we would be mad to let him go in January.

Brendan Clegg:

Mark's report pretty much covers everything.

Saido and McManaman should probably have started or certainly have been introduced earlier and, as with Newcastle we'd probably have earned more comfortable victories. And we'd probably have got something at Swansea.

Pulis truly is the king of the marginal victory - and got another one here in the last minute after we got the benefit of the sending off. But at least he kept Sess in the team to give us some sort of creative input and I thought, whilst it wasn't pretty for long parts of the game, we did really well to stifle the supply to Stoke's dangerous attacking front 3 and dealt with them well when they did get on the ball.

It was another soft goal to concede from a cross - not sure whether it was Myhill's fault for not claiming, Brunt for not tracking the runner or Evans for seemingly deliberately running under it instead of dealing with it like Olsson does.

On to the next - it would be nice to see Gamboa, Poco, Lindergaard and McManaman get some game-time in the cup, and maybe even Roberts.

• Myhill - 6 Did all that was required of him.
• Dawson - 6 his partnership with Sess is miles better than it was, but his passing still lets him down and he managed to hit the first man in one passage of play 3 times in a row from crossing - from the Billy Jones school of fullback play.
• McAuley - 7 Just keeps going, a class act.
• Evans - 7 Another very good game in all aspects. Will anyone sniff around during the window? He's got 5 top years left in him. Was he at fault for the goal though?
• Brunt - 6 Given who he was up against he had a decent game - crossing was pretty woeful though.
• Yacob - 6 Did what he does in his little pocket - a bit embarrassing to roll around like he did.
• Fletcher - 7 He did do well to win the ball back from the goal but it was his unbelievably careless pass that lost it in the first place in a dangerous situation. Keeps going and never gives in.
• Sess - 8 Was the best attacker on the pitch even when things weren't quite coming off. Where might we be with his involvement in the first 10 games this season? And if we don't sign him up who will we replace him with next year?
• Mozza - 8 Much better from Morrison who basically ran the midfield today with a more-like-it display and great pass for the opening goal with his wrong foot.
• Gardner - 6 Gave his all as usual but being a bubbly character and a great lad in the dressing room shouldn't merit these starts. Dave Benson Phillips is available for hire and would be cheaper.
• Lambert - 5 Is great when we can get the ball within a few feet of him and tried to lead the line with fight but you can only use the tools you have and at 34 he lacks the pace and movement necessary to hurt teams up front on his own.

• Saido - 6 Festively plump but still a better option than Lambert and his movement and speed-of-thought helped us.
• McManaman - 6 Direct, pacey and a little bit nasty - glad he contributed to the goal.