West Bromwich Albion 2 - Watford 1

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Brendan Clegg:

It’s typically Albion that our agony for the season has been prolonged by the glimmer of hope this victory provides. The playoffs are still on!

Given the injuries we had I’d have gone with exactly the same lineup and system (4-4-2) however I’d have gone with Armstrong and Dike up front.

Not that it mattered… the main thing was that with 5 must win games to go Mowbray finally sacrificed pointless control of games for more attacking threat and also picked our two best wingers at last.

The result? Yep we had less possession in our own half but we created chances and took the lead through a superb goal with Fellows doing what every Albion fan knew he would do with a start… skinning his man and calmly picking out Grant to slot home superbly.

Watford took control after that - playing the kind of going-nowhere football we’ve done so much. I do feel Mowatt was exposed though - he couldn’t handle the pace or power and, rushed, he gave the ball away a lot.

Our threat was there though with Grant and Lankshear relentlessly battling away, fighting and grafting. We got lucky that a Watford effort hit the post from distance but otherwise were sound and went in one up.

Second half we picked up the game well, Fellows again menacing and MJ twisting them and creating space.

Big chances came and went both before and after we scored a quite beautiful team goal for our second - Lankshear doing brilliantly to free Grant, him committing their defenders before sliding Fellows in slightly wide who expertly found the only option on as Johnston darted centrally and touched the ball home.

Lankshear, who really deserved a goal, should have scored a couple of laid on Grant for a tap in before he slightly strangely made way for Armstrong leaving us without a target man that had been so effective.

Grant went close when he probably should’ve given AA a tap in and then we conceded our obligatory goal through a crap and open line and, unfortunately, hesitant goalkeeping. Griffiths might not have won the race but he’d have made it a lot harder. Instead he retreated then came and got beat a bit easily at his near post.

More strange subs followed with Diagana… not a battler you need to hold onto a lead… on for MJ as we went 5 in midfield with Grant going wide left.

Finally Dike arrived to restore a bit of presence, made a pest of him self and despite some late pressure we held on.

Many Albion fans had been calling for this approach. Years of watching these players in this league means that plenty of us know which of them can’t be trusted as well as what it takes to get results. It’s so frustrating it’s taken this long for the change in approach to happen and it’s likely as a result of injuries and suspension.

We can absolutely win our final 4 games playing this way, probably with stronger options to come into centre midfield (fancy Diakite and Price?), up front and maybe even the back 4 if Ajayi is fit and Heggem goes to left back. It would probably be enough to sneak us in but still a tall order.

• Griffiths - 6 Needed to commit for the goal but his kicking was good. Worth seeing how he does over next 4 games.
• Furlong - 7 Better today. Solid and passed it well.
• Barts - 6 Not sure where he was further goal but did okay
• Heggem - 8 a relentless beast. What a signing.
• Styles - 6 Hyper and competed well.
• Fellows - 8 Wasn’t just how he beat players but the quality of delivery. 2 assists, could’ve been 5. How has he not been starting?
• Mowatt - 5 couldn’t hack the pace
• Price - 8 A special boy finally playing in his best role. Classy passing and great energy.
• MJ - 7 tight control, a threat, classy finish.
• Grant - 7 Superb positioning and finish. Energy, fight and running an absolute credit to himself. Forgive the decision-making.
• Lankshear - 7 Deserved a goal and should’ve got one. Burly, held it up so well, handled rough treatment too.

• Grady - 5 not the sub I’d have made at that time. Struggled.
• Armstrong - 5 little contribution
• Dike - 6 Effective cameo. Useful.

A rare one for me as I’ll miss the Coventry game on Good Friday but I sincerely hope Mowbray keeps the same approach.

The marathon I’m running for Black County Women’s Aid is just 2 weeks away and you can still sponsor me here -

https://www.justgiving.com/page/brendan-clegg-2