West Brom 2 City 3
Report by Kate Thompson
So we have now won back-to-back victories for the first time since September – is this a false dawn or the start of a realistic fight for Premier League survival?
I wasn’t expecting to get much out of this game, and thought a draw would be a good result, but how wrong I was! The club played its part by giving the travelling fans a t-shirt with a pair of manic fox’s eyes and the slogan #FEARLESS, a reminder of the last time they did this against Burnley last season. If this is how the players react, we will need something for every game, to go with the free scarf those of us who have attended every away game received in time for the West Ham match!
This was the archetypal game of two halves; we were pretty awful in the first (West Brom weren’t much better) and we upped our game in the second. Pearson made a change in formation after half-time, by having just three at the back and Richie De Laet was the unfortunate player who was sacrificed; Wasilewski came on in his place.
Before the game started, there were emotional scenes in remembrance of Jeff Astle, and the West Brom players were in the white strip they wore at Wembley in 1968, wearing numbers 2 to 11 and with no names or advertising on the shirts. This was as good as it got for the present team!
However, it started well for them when a scramble led to their first goal in the eight minute, from Fletcher; Cambiasso thought he had cleared it off the line but goal-line technology clearly showed that the ball had already gone in.
We didn’t have to wait long for the equaliser, although I needed to watch MOTD to see exactly what happened. A quick free kick from the impressive Cambiasso and a neat knock-down by Ulloa gave Nugent an opportunity which he took well, despite an attempt to know him off the ball.
West Brom took the lead again only six minutes later when a knock-down from Ideye gave Gardner a good opportunity. Shortly before, many of the fans around me insisted that the ball had gone out for a throw-in but the linesman was on the spot and I could see that the whole ball did not cross the line, even if many others couldn’t. Schmeichel was also complaining that a player was offside but the only one who was in an offside position was not interfering with play. So the officials got it right but unfortunately some fans will never accept that.
With the new formation, City looked more threatening after the break, but time was ticking away and we thought we would get nothing from the game. Oh ye of little faith! After a session of ping-pong in the box the ball fell to Huth who headed in the second equaliser, in the 80th minute.
A lot of the fans would have settled for a draw at this point, but thank goodness the players had other ideas! The every lively Vardy robbed former City player McAuley on the half-way line and sprinted towards the goal. Nugent was backing him up but Vardy opted to be selfish – and for once we were delighted that he was, as he scored a beauty into the corner, sending the City fans wild with delight.
How many times have been able to say that this season? All of a sudden, the cries of ‘There’s only one Nigel Pearson’ were ringing around the away end.
So what made the difference? I guess the gulf between the Premier League and the Championship is even wider than we realised and the players have inevitably needed time to learn. But hopefully they have done just that and now sit only one point below Burnley and four points from safety.
The weakest player for me was Ulloa, although he was instrumental in the first goal, but I was delighted that Albrighton justified his selection; he was a constant threat and his crossing is excellent. Schlupp had some less than impressive moments but was more threatening playing as a wing-back in the revised formation.
Schmeichel had very little to do apart from pick the ball out of the net twice, and I don’t remember him having to make a save of any note. James was replaced by King in the 60th minute and Ulloa by Mahrez in the 64th. King again gave a good cameo performance and I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t start against Swansea. Bring it on!
Albion: Myhill, Dawson, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt, Gardner (Olsson 73), Fletcher, Yacob, Morrison (Sessegnon 85), Berahino, Ideye (Anichebe 60). Subs not used: Wisdom, Baird, McManaman, Rose
Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet (Wasilewski 46), Huth, Morgan, Schlupp, Albrighton, James (King 60), Cambiasso, Vardy, Nugent, Ulloa (Mahrez 64). Subs not used: Konchesky, Drinkwater, Schwarzer, Kramaric
Attendance: 26,768 Referee: Martin Atkinson
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation