Pre-match: In a line-up much changed from Thursday in Santander, Hart replaced Schmeichel, Ball was back for Garrido, Dunne was in for Ben Haim, Ireland, SWP & Kompany were all in the engine room – and there was a surprise return for Benjani up front. The Zimbabwean was thought to be out for around a month with a hamstring problem, but he was back and there was no Robinho with his troublesome ankle injury still a problem.
Academy product Adam Clayton was on the bench for the first time, could the creative 19 year old midfielder get a game and become the 27th graduate of Platt Lane to play in the City first team?
The Match
We were barely a minute into the game when Vassell broke down the left and forced Albion to concede a corner, from which Ireland eventually fired over. Within seconds Bednar was trying to latch on to a long ball at the other end without success.
City had two chances in quick succession around seven minutes, Benjani getting inbetween Greening and Meite before fouling Robinson, and then Ireland shot straight at Carson after City had quickly won the ball back.
Strikers from both sides were caught offside around the 13 minute mark, with Moore and then Benjani firing at the keepers just after the flags had been raised.
Good work from Benjani in the 20th minute allowed Vassell to move into a threatening position outside the area; he then laid it off the SWP on his right, whose shot for goal got enough of a deflection from Robinson to fly just wide of the left post.
The hosts had their best chance so far a minute afterwards, City failing to clear from inside the box and James Morrison shot to the near post squeezing wide after a half-block from Dunne.
We had the woodwork to thank for keeping it at 0-0 on 31 minutes, Roman Bednar getting into space on the left and firing a shot at the near post that beat Hart’s left hand, hit the post, struck Hart on the head and rebounded into safety across the face of goal.
SWP had been lively on the right flank, and after keeping his balance with 10 minutes to the break he rolled a short pass into Fernandes’ path that the Swiss midfielder drove straight at Carson.
We were just entering stoppage time when City went close at a free kick, Benjani and Richards almost getting in each other’s way before Micah fired over, but the referee had blown for a handball by the striker and had the ball gone in it would not have counted.
Eight minutes into the second half, after Robinson was booked for fouling SWP, a quick City move gave us a decent half-chance. A fine pass from Fernandes found Zabalata, who immediately moved the ball back to SWP, who smacked it straight at Carson. Five minutes later, Benjani pulled up with what looked like a pulled muscle, and he was replaced by Caicedo, making his first league appearance of the season.
City had a corner which came to nothing on 68 minutes – and from that West Brom broke away downfield and scored. James Morrison sped away into City’s half, found Luke Moore in acres of space on the right and the striker made no mistake, sliding the ball under Joe Hart as the keeper went to his left.
The home side’s tails were up now, and Morrison was near to linking up with Bednar a minute later, but Ball’s interception came at just the right time.
Darius Vassell was treated for several minutes after going down on the edge of the box with 20 minutes left, and with a quarter of an hour to go West Brom had the ball in the net again – but Morrison had fouled Hart at a cross just before Beattie had rolled the ball in.
And with six minutes left came the equaliser that had looked so unlikely – and from a sublime piece of skill from Felipe Caicedo! The imposing Ecuadorian striker foxed the home defence with a backheel that took a deflection, hit the post and just crept over the line after hitting Carson. Despite his efforts, it went down as an own goal.
But a spirited West Brom side went close to going back ahead seconds later, man of the match James Morrison curling a fine effort just wide of Hart’s left post.
As we entered the four minutes of time added on, a superb run and cross from the tireless Vassell just eluded Stephen Ireland as he steamed into the box.
But there was to be one more twist in the tale – West Brom broke away on the right and Roman Bednar, who could have been substituted earlier when his name was announced, found himself totally free in the middle to head home the cross past a stranded Joe Hart.
There was no time for any more dramatics, and the home side had the three points they had needed and City were still in the bottom three.
