West Ham United 0 West Bromwich Albion 0 - Post analysis
Mar 17 2009 by Robert Tanner, Birmingham Post
WEST HAM UNITED 0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0
West Bromwich Albion picked up a rare away point and kept a first clean sheet on their travels since September but there was a sense that this was two points dropped rather than a point gained for Tony Mowbray’s side.
While West Ham are a resurgent force under Gianfranco Zola and have swapped a relegation dogfight for the chase for a Uefa Cup spot, it was Albion who created the better chances and could have claimed only their second away league victory of the season.
However, while their recent defensive problems were not evident at the Boleyn Ground, their inability to take their chances once again stopped them from obtaining the victory their excellent play deserved.
Frustrated by his side’s form, Mowbray made several notable changes in a bid to spark into life a fight for survival.
Graham Dorrans was given his full Premier League debut after making a few substitute appearances while Shelton Martis was also given his first taste of Premier League action as Abdoulaye Meite and Leon Barnett were injured.
Olsson returned to the heart of the defence after six weeks out with a knee injury while Ryan Donk and record signing Borja Valero were left out of an 18-man squad.
The changes certainly seemed to work in the first half as Albion created the better chances but once again failed to take them.
James Morrison and Jonathan Greening combined superbly in the 18th minute to play in Fortune but the Frenchman fired into the side-netting when a shot across the face of goal could have yielded better results.
Five minutes later Albion had a good claim for a penalty rejected when Paul Robinson tumbled under the weight of Lucas Neill’s challenge when he looked favourite to reach a Chris Brunt corner at the back post.
Replays showed the Hammers captain did have plenty of Robinson’s shirt in his grasp but referee Mark Halsey said no, much to Albion’s annoyance.
The visitors continued to frustrate the Hammers and Morrison should have scored when he collected the ball in midfield and embarked on a mazy run past a static West Ham defence that parted like the proverbial Red Sea but he could not beat Green.
The Boleyn Ground roared their disapproval and the Hammers responded with youngster Freddie Sears twice going close.
Firstly, Martis produced a great block when the Albion goal was at Sears’ mercy and then his deflected shot cannoned off Martis and flew inches over the bar with Scott Carson stranded.
Albion were given another fright straight after the restart when Mark Noble and Sears combined to play in David Di Michele on the edge of the area but he fired wildly over the bar when well-placed.
But Albion had a gilt-edged chance to take the lead two minutes later when Martis out-jumped Green to reach a superb Brunt cross but his header cannoned back off the underside of the bar, to sum up the luck Mowbray has had.
However, if Albion had been wasteful, the Hammers were equally so.
Savio should have done better when he ghosted in behind Zuiverloon and raced into the area but again he showed no composure with his finish, fortunately for the Dutch full-back.
Albion were still giving as good as they got and Koren’s deflected shot from 25 yards fizzed just wide.
Then, with 20 minutes remaining, Greening was played in by the outstanding Morrison but his first touch took him wide and then he clipped the ball over Green but also over the bar.
Di Michele headed wide from a Junior Stanislas cross in the 77th minute but still Carson had not had a real save to make.
Mowbray could sense the win was there for the taking.
He went for broke, taking off Brunt and Fortune and bringing on the strike pairing of Luke Moore and Jay Simpson, but they failed to force the breakthrough and Albion had to be content with a point which does little to ease their plight at the foot of the table.
