Rotherham United 0 - West Bromwich Albion 3

Dave Watkin:

TEAM NEWS

There were just two changes to the side which lost in midweek. Andy Johnson, back after his unjust suspension, replaced Ronnie Wallwork in midfield with Lee Hughes preferred to Scott Dobie in attack.

CRUCIAL GOAL

Albion had to deal with early Rotherham pressure and newcomer Paul Robinson was forced into a goalline clearance, but as the Baggies gradually began to take control of the match it was Lee Hughes's turn to be frustrated, when his goal attempt was blocked on the line.

The goal came in the 39th minute and it was the result of a period of intense Albion attacking. The home defence were unable to get the ball away and a flick from Bernt Haas fed Jason Koumas deep inside United's penalty area. The Welshman turned his marker and from close to the by-line hit a low cross which Rob Hulse dummied leaving the keeper stranded and forcing BARKER to prod the ball over the goalline to prevent the incoming Andy Johnson from netting.

GAME SAFE

Just four minutes into the second half Albion doubled their lead. The energetic Andy Johnson won a tackle wide left and hit a cross field ball to ROB HULSE, who took the ball past a challenge before shooting low and right footed to the keeper's left.

In the 65th minute it was the turn of Jason Koumas to pick out the former Crewe striker. This time ROB HULSE ran at the defence and struck a left footed shot into the same corner of the net.

There was a slight worry when Koumas limped off to be replaced by Artim Sakiri, but with Albion cruising to victory there were late opportunities for Scott Dobie (on for Hughes) and Neil Clement (for O'Connor) to stretch their legs before the final whistle.

ALBION FORMRATE : GOOD

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH : ROB HULSE

OPINION

This was a comfortable victory for Albion. I've given Rob Hulse man-of-the-match for his brace of goals, but Andy Johnson was not far behind for his all action display. A sound defence, good contributions from Jason Koumas and a lively stint by Lee Hughes, all featured in a satisfactory performance.

Strangely, despite the two excellent goals from Hulse, I was most satisfied by the first own goal! The reason is this, it came about because Albion pressed the opposition by dominating a period of play. I seem to remember four of five attacks being partially cleared before the Baggies picked up the loose balls and attacked again. By the time of the goal there must have been four or five Albion men in the box with perhaps three others just outside. Not risky adventurous play - just well judged pressure which paid off because we have that extra bit of class at this level. A model perhaps of how we could and should approach games against inferior opposition in this division.

TABLES

ALBION are TOP of the league, after the previous leaders Wigan Athletic lost two-nil at Walsall.

Jon Want:

Back on track and back on top; I hope it silences the doubters for the time being.

I believe that the result and, from all reports, the performance proves that the MK debacle was a blip. And it has been achieved at what could have been a very tricky venue, with Rotherham having lost only one at home including a win over West Ham. Hulse getting back in the goals on his birthday was very important and, I understand, Hughes had another impressive showing up front.

The pressure should be off for the midweek trip to Newcastle, before we need to secure another three points against Sunderland.

Things are suddenly rosy once more in the Albion camp!!

For more comments and reports, visit http://www.jonwant.com.albion.html

Cuzer:

Just a quicky as off out on the Town to celebrate the win.

• Hoult 7: One good save especially in first half, safe handling, kicking still a little suspect
• Haas 7; Mr consistent, solid as always, gets forward well, impressive
• Robinson 7; Solid as more of a defensive game, doesn't give us the same option as Clem/Haas yet uses the ball well enough
• Gregan 8: Rock at the back, used the ball well and a tower of strength in the air, had Byfield in the pocket
• Gaardsoe 9*: Won everything up against Rotherhams aerial bombardment, superb distribution too
• Gilly 6: Am I picking on him? Just looks out of place in a side with better footballers, beaten in the air way too much, sliced clearances, will no doubt keep his place yet again for me Voolmer is twice the player
• O'Connor 8: Much more suited to the holding midfield role, got about the place really well
• AJ 8: Really missed his energy, set up one, involved in other, superb comeback
• Koumas 8; A constant threat, scared Rotherham to bits
• Hulse 8; Super finishes, worked hard, goal will have done confidence the world of good
• Hughes 7; Full of running and played on the shoulder well, just lost that bit of pace which is costing him clear chances rather than half chances

Subs

• Sakiri for The Face 75 min: 7 Came on and moved the ball well, got in the box and went close on two occasions
• Dobie for Hughes 85 min: 6
• Clem for O Connor 91min (Clem at centre mid over Wallwork?)

Boing Boing

PS: Well done to the Boing FC team who drew 2-2 with The Blades in the morning, only a late leveller costing us

Simon Wright:

Yes, it was an improvement on recent showings and I was pleased with the result. We do have a team uniquely capable of dealing with a long ball, big, bustling but not very skilful attack. Particularly a side starting short of one first choice forward and then losing the other in the second half. Yes, Rotherham are indeed an ugly team but I did feel a little sorry for them. This is a Megson team's game and no Plan B was needed.

Lee Hughes's willingness to run and find space helped us greatly as did AJ's energy and workrate. Couple this with far more ball-winning and neat turns from James O'Connor and decisive finishing with Rob Hulse meant this game was quickly won in the second half.

I think this win was much needed and will help everyone's morale and temper.

Heathens:

Rotherham is a real football ground, none of these new stands, and innovations such as 'chips' as I found to my cost when the inevitable 'Daddy I want some chips' started just before half time.

I had decided to take up a seat in Rotherhams main stand and an excellent view it provided, despite arriving at 1459H. Just in front of me were the Albion non playing staff, I spotted 'Big Dave' first, but on closer inspection, everyone was there. Where is a camera when you need one, (anc?), Charlotte's photo album would have looked good being carried by 'Big Dave' however it was not to be, and for the second half they walked across to the other stand and sat with the Albion fans who were 'on the side'. Big Dave received a marvellous reception as he strode across the pitch just before the start of the second half, in front of the packed away end. I was sorry to see them all go as at least I knew 10 other Baggies were with me!

In usual fashion for home teams, the Millers started brightly and penned us in own half for the first 15 mins., however we gradually saw off their bright start and started to make some chances of our own. Two headers from Hulse went agonisingly wide, would he ever regain the free-scoring form of early season?. Hughes had a header cleared off the line by Sedgwick, during a period of good chances for Baggies. We won the ball back mid way into the Millers half following good pressure from Johnson(?), this allowed Koumas to operate as a right winger and get to the by-line, a great cross to the near post caused panic in the Rotherham defence with Hulse threatening, I thought Hulse got a touch , but so did defender Barker, and it was eventually classed as an own goal. (As found out in the car later!) 1-0 to Baggies.

Not much else happened in the run up to halftime, and so the first half ended with a deserved 1-0 lead, and it could have been more.

Rotherham came out for the second half and already had the look (to me anyway) of a beaten team. The 'stalwarts' around me didn't think much of their chances of scoring and to be fair I agreed with them. A particular moan was that Byfield never passes, and always runs himself into trouble, this actually did happen late on and resulted in him limping off badly following quite a good run that was ended by Gilchrists boot, just about on the penalty spot, after guess what, Byfield had the opportunity to pass several times. (Shouldn't disbelieve these 'stalwarts')

It only took us four minutes of the second half to increase our lead, and following a good pass from Johnson to beat the Rotherham offside trap Hulse found himself all alone and swept the ball in right footed past Pollitt.

Albion gradually exerted more pressure on the entire game and for once, our opponents didn't seem able to pen us back into our own penalty area, as a result our midfield was getting more and more time, and space, as Millers kept trying but not succeeding to put us under some sustained pressure.

Mark Robins was introduced after about an hour, but immediately Baggies were 3-0 up following a Koumas pass to Hulse who this time swept the ball in left footed for his hatrick. (Or so I thought at the time!)

Nothing of great note then followed, but during the second half there was one great passage of play, from defence on the left , a cross field ball from Koumas (?) to Haas, who beats a player, and then plays another great cross field ball to Koumas, who then I believe crossed to the far post only for the chance created to be spurned, shouldn't moan too much as we did score enough today to win the game.

Koumas had one further run starting from just in front of me on the left, just in front of our penalty area, when he mazed up field only to be prevented from scoring the goal of the season by twisting his ankle just prior to pulling the trigger. Hope its not too serious, for he was immediately substituted for Sakiri.

Players- Us

• Hoult - Nothing to do
• Haas - good
• Gregan - untroubled
• Gaardsoe - start of the defence
• Gilchrist - steady
• Robinson - solid
• Johnson - STARMAN - (Joint) Welcome back made all the difference
• O'Connor - ran around well supporting Johnno
• Koumas - involved in nearly all of our threats
• Hulse - STARMAN - (Joint) Great finishing
• Hughes - played well, and caused problems

Subs:

• Sakiri-some nice touches
• Dobie-not really noticed

Theirs:

• Sub Monkhouse and Robins - Disappointing (Although we had it won by then)

It was nice to get back to winning ways, Rotherham unlike MKD actually did try to attack us and paid the price. They will struggle this season, and we should expect to be able to beat them.

It was so different comparing it to Tuesday night, the big difference being that the Millers actually tried to create some chances. However we should still be good enough to break anyone down in this division. I guess sometimes that it just doesn't happen, and perhaps we should accept that.

The big picture is that we are now top of the league, have a game in hand on our nearest rivals, are 4 points and have a game in hand of the last play-off place, and have a home game to come against the fifth placed team next Saturday, who we gained four points off last year, and following our strengthening and their not, must have a reasonable chances of winning. All our rivals are having similar problems to us, and lose matches that the form book says they should win. Perhaps things are not as bad as last weeks depression would have you believe.

Ave Points 2.07 - Target 2

John - Nottingham:

A rare away trip for me, and what should have been a straightforward train journey (Nottingham to Rotherham - that can't be far can it?) was predictably complicated both ways. Still, this was more than compensated for by the result and a solid performance.

I was impressed by the way in which Albion adapted to the conditions. Rotherham is a cramped pitch (or maybe it just seesm that way because it's a small ground), and it was also showing the effects of both the recent dry spell and the fact that rugby is played on it. In short, it was difficult to get any passing going, and Rotherham are clearly used to using their home advantage. However, as I say, we adapted to this, battling well, and not allowing the ball to bobble about in defence too much. In addition to this, Albion did pass when they could.

Hulse looked sharp in the shooting practice before the game, and he took his goals superbly. Of course, he's not going to get defenders giving him that much space every week, but to certain extent he also created his own space by running at Rotherham with confidence. Andy Johnson fulfilled expectations by really putting himself about in midfield - exactly what was needed here - and the defence general looked solid. I was here in our promotion season, and this time we generally didn't let them get down the wings at us. I thought Robinson had a particularly solid game, and Gaardsoe looked better than he has recently.

An encouraging performance, but I still think there are some question marks over what is these days referred to as the 'tempo' of our game. I'd really like to see us moving the ball about with greater urgency at times. There were glimpses of this today, and I hope we can show more of this in the Sunderland game. Hulse is certainly capable of playing off the shoulder of the last defender, and although Hughes doesn't quite seem to have the pace he once did, I still think he can play in this way too. However, this depends on us breaking with more speed and moving the ball throught the midfield quickly. This is where Sakiri should have a crucial role in the long run, along with the ever-perplexing Wallwork, who undoubtedly has the ability to pass creatively from midfield.

All in all, we safely negotiated an away game that could have caused less committed teams problems. Now, we have to show that we can pass the ball well and put in a convincing performance against one of the top-six teams in the division. Hats off, incidentally, to the guy attempting to get a 'Here comes O'Connor!' chant going to the tune of The Undertones' (I think) 'Here Comes the Summer'. I think he also threw in a chorus of 'Jimmy, Jimmy' by the same group. We need more songs like this.

John Painter:

4 games in 11 days is quite a tall order for most teams but we have come out of it in the same position as when we went into the period, at the top of the First Division. Yes we only got 6 points out of 12 but Saturdays trip to Rotherham gave us not only a welcome win, after the MKD debacle, but a good win that means we also have the best goal difference in the division. On the way to the game we discussed the performances of the previous 3 games and I mused over whether it was going to be easier to win away than at home in the coming months as teams are more inclined to go for a win on their own pitch rather than pack the midfield.

I have mentioned before that I spent 3 years in South Yorkshire in the mid 70's you would think that I would never forget how cold it is up there but yet again I was surprised by the low temperatures. Millmoor hadn't changed from the day that I saw the Saddlers go down to Rotherham some 28 years ago, indeed at the Railway End all that they have done is put those infernal plastic seats onto the terracing. That means for those of us over 5 ft 6 inches tall there is no legroom and why I never stood up to "hate the Wolves". (Well the song always started just after I had struggled back into my seat).

We discounted the Gentleman's club by the roundabout and also Strikers a sports bar offering rooms for ?10 per night. From the look of it you probably needed to take your own de lousing powder for the next morning. Instead we visited the Tivioli before the game where both sets of supporters mingled and enjoyed a drink and a bite to eat I realised why I disliked Stones Bitter so much some 30 years ago. But the fact that both sets of fans could mingle was a reminder of how much we football fans miss nowadays.

The game began with Johnson taking the place of Wallwork and Hughes replacing Dobie from Tuesdays team and Volmer being relegated off the bench. Johnson is such a good player at this level and was clearly one of the reasons that we played so well. His tackling was tenacious, his running was endless and his energy magnificent. Rotherham started well and Hoult was forced into making his one good save of the game, and Gaardsoe was outstanding at marshalling his backs. As the half wore on so we began to take control. It was though from a poor cross by Koumas that the goal came. As Hulse and Hughes pressurised the Rotherham defence Pollitt (obviously feeling in sympathy for his former dingle colleagues at that time) let the ball go under his body and then it hit the foot of Stewart Barker who watched and tried in vein to move in slow motion to stop the ball entering his own net.

After 40 minutes and then the Rotherham defence started to argue with each other. Half time came and a chance one felt for Ronnie Moore to put his players in order and make an attempt to rescue the game. He failed, as in the second half we controlled the game better and when Hulse scored the second (from the other end of the ground it looked as though Pollitt was late in diving but on TV I would say it was a pretty good shot!) the game was up for Rotherham. Around 15 minutes later Koumas fed a superb ball to Hulse who ran at the Millers defence before shooting from around 18 yards and once again beating Pollitt.

I couldn't help but feel that there was the possibility of another goal from us. Although a much better team than MKD, Rotherham never threatened in the last 15 minutes and Byfield made a complete ass of himself to the travelling fans delight. He finally left the field injured after a lunge when the red mist had descended.

I was disappointed but after the last 3 performances not surprised that we did not take up the whole of our allocation of seats but Rotherham had only around 5,000 in attendance and only 4 men on the Bench. One has to feel sorry for Ronnie Moore as he clearly doesn't have the funds available to him and the lack of support can only make that worse.

So back on top of the table. If we had got 4 points more from the home games then we would be well clear of the pack. But it is churlish to complain. I do believe that once we have got the team playing more together we will come good in our performances as well as in our results. We have more or less completed the first third of the season and the next third is all about consolidation before the business third ends the season. With 2.1 points average we are on for around 95 points and a positive goal difference of 30. I wonder what the odds are for 100 points?

Marks

• Hoult - 7
• Haas - 7
• Robinson 7
• Gregan - 7
• Gaardsoe - 8
• Gilchrist - 6
• Johnson - 8 (MoM)
• O'Connor - 7
• Koumas - 7
• Hulse - 8
• Hughes - 7
• Sakiri - 7
• Clement - 6
• Dobie - 6

• Megson - 6
• WBA - 7
• Rotherham - 5

Supporters:

• Us - 6
• Them - 4
• Ref - 6

Kev Buckley:

Writing this after getting back home on Sunday night at the end of a long round trip which began Friday evening and involved a beer festival, Peter Green (of original Fleetwod Mac fame) in concert, a BOING FC game and a filial duty visit, so a lot of it is not now as clear as it was, however:

From my vantage point close to ground level in Row A, not however the worst viewpoint, as AA and I assume AB, were both in front of me, two well taken goals from Hulse settled a pretty scrappy affair against low table opposition who, though quite happy to match us in the up and under and determination departments, were, as you'ld hope, actually undone by a second-half Albion performance that looked all the better for attempting to pass it around and not to sit back on a lead.

First though, let's assume that Megson's relegation of Wallwork to the bench, for Johnson, and perserverence with Gilchrist, meaning the more accomplished Volmer couldn't even make that bench, were in response to the most likely nature of the Rotherham threat. If so, even if you, like me, feel we should by now be dominating most opposition in this division, the manager must be applauded for nullifying that threat to the extent that Hoult had little to do and I now look forward to applauding more alterations in line-up and tactics, away from a side specifically designed to deal with such a threat, when we play other opposition.

Whilst watching a game from what was virtually pitch level, and with a post-impaired view of parts of that pitch, never gives a true picture, it always serves to highlight the "high ball" and there was good bit of that early on, including our usual kick-off ploy, as both sides hoped for the slice of fortune that such tactics can create against the few defences left in football that can't as yet cope with them.

Two of Albion's regular defenders on Saturday are, of course, well known quantities in the dashing of such hopes and with Gaardsoe showing that he can easily deal with such a futile approach to the game too, we shouldn't have any problems against sides trying it, although it has to be said that Rotherham hardly looked troubled by similar, early approaches from us either.

As the first half wore on (and it was a bit of a drudge), as with most first halves I've seen this season, Albion had come more and more into it, Haas eventually starting to get forward in the way that has made him look an excellent acquisition and Koumas slowly getting more and more balls he could look down on, and so had started to properly test the home back line, with both the willing Hughes, and the slightly less than willing but happy to chase anyway Hulse, both getting away on the right but just failing to set the other up.

The deadlock, albeit a deadlock under much more pressure to give in our favour than theirs, was finally broken after forty-odd minutes, and it came form the sort of play that was really good to see: a midfielder, Koumas (who else ?), with the ball at his feet ahead of his strikers and in behind the defence and pulling it back across a box into which a "pushed-on" Albion had got supporting players.

Admittedly, at one yard out from the goal-line, the Rotherham keeper should probably have cut out that particular cut back, but when he didn't, a defender, facing his own goal at full stretch attempting to block, removed the need for Hulse, in close attendance behind him, to tap in.

So, 1-0 up at half-time, following a fairly poor first-half with the floodlights coming on as the darkness fell, and the cold starting to penetrate the fleece: would the second-half bring the crowd warmth from a burning rage against the oft-seen "slightly less than expansive" tactics previously employed in such circumstances, or, having made the breakthrough just, as the psychologist ordered, before half time, through a roaring fire of attacking football ? Well, as it turned out, neither.

However, whilst never looking likely to really cut loose, Albion never looked likely to give Rotherham the sort of a sniff at goal afforded, say, Norwich either, and so once the off in the distance Hulse, played in by the goalpost in front of me (apparently it hid AJ), had cooly finished to make it 2-0, our "new found" approach to being ahead pretty well restricted Rotherham to the theatrical diving of Byfield and even provided an environment in which the move for Hulse's second, and our third, goal, started with a proper pass from, would you believe, the edge of our own box, by O'Connor.

The warm glow thus generated by this competent performance was somewhat cooled by the late loss of Koumas, who had incidently looked a little uncomfortable after one of his shots in the warm up, meaning that we only got to see Sakiri as a replacement. Dobie got a short run out at the end as reward for bench warming but why bring on Clement, and to play in the holding role as well, for two minutes after having him sit around in the cold for ninety, surely there's more chance of a player damaging something than affecting the result: though perhaps O'Connor was struggling?

Overall then, great to see us not only bounce straight back and overcome low-table oppositon after stumbling mid-week against the similarly placed Wimbledon but also not to see us feel we had to rely on the "hold what we have" approach once ahead. The two goals (with a third stolen by the defender) from Hulse can only help his confidence, and, of course, the other results of the day went in our favour.

AJ-B:

Well, Boing bloody Boing! we got a result - and a clean sheet and have returned to our position at the top of this league.

Replica Colditz hosted our return to winning ways although we made heavy weather during the first 15 minutes when we could not get out of our own half. Rotherham played neat interpassing football but unfortunately had no one capable of finishing, if they had managed a goal in the opening period then the situation could have become very difficult. Lee Hughes was running intelligently off the ball pulling defenders, and managed our first attempt on their goal after about 20 minutes. Andy Johnson filled the void in midfield closing down and harrassing the opposition and at last giving James O'Connor the support he has been sadly lacking in recent games. As a result Koumas came more into matters with mazy runs, and he did superbly well to create the opening goal with a dribble down the right and from the byeline put in a telling low cross that Rob Hulse half hit onto the unfortunate Barker who could only watch in dis-belief as the ball crossed the line, HALLELUJAH we got a goal!

This half time lead obviously settled the team and they began the second half dominating. Hughes and Hulse were forming an understanding and reward came when AJ put a super ball to Hulse who from the edge of the box drilled into the net. Koumas was coming more and more dominant and made surging runs to the heart of the defence, and who else could have set Hulse up again to fire a left foot shot to score - almost a replica of his first, I did feel however their goalkeeper was very suspect and should have been better placed to deal with this strike. A great result for us and with other results from teams around us going in our favour we return to the top of the pile.

However, as I made comment following the series of the last 3 home games, I have not seen a "good" side against us yet this season, and I am afraid that if the defence structure is what Megson considers to be his best, then I am afraid we are going to struggle with any side that has some ability up front. Thomas Gaardsoe I thought was magnificent on Saturday, he was the sole main reason why we nullified any threat from Rotherham. He has even improved on what I think has been his weakness this season - his defensive heading ability. More often than not he has lost most of his aerial battles from high balls down the middle, but on Saturday he was superb. Gilchrist on the other hand is not playing that well and his distribution is poor. Gregan is something of an enigma, last season I was a big fan of his, but this season he has turned in one poor performance after another and his clearances on Saturday related to Sunday morning park football. He is a utility player who can do a fill in job as needed but frankly there are other defenders we have who MUST be given their chance.

It was interesting to note Gary Megsons after match comments that we should not succumb to "knee jerk" reactions following a disappointing result, I would agree, but he knows we have generally not played very well this season and the results have come for us, but the "knee jerk" was on the back of 3 appalling performances on our home ground, also we have lost 4 games, all but possibly one of these should have been avoided-we gave these games away.

Now bring on Sunderland for what will probably be our toughest game so far. My team (if we must stick to 3-5-2) is:-

                         Hoult

         Gregan(Berthe)   Gaardsoe    Volmer

Haas                                      N'Dour (Robinson)

          Koumas   Johnson (O'Connor)  Sakiri

                  Hulse         Hughes