BAGGIES BOUNCE BACK TO BIG TIME
ONE of the game’s most colourful figures is back in the Premier League as Slaven Bilic guided West Bromwich Albion to promotion.
But it was a tense night and Bilic cut an agitated figure on the touchline as his side squeeze over the line in an agonising final evening in the Championship.
With the game locked at 2-2, Bilic learned Barnsley had taken a late lead at Brentford, leaving the Londoners needing two goals to overhaul Albion. Bilic shouted himself hoarse as he tried to tell his players to hold what they had. When the final whistle blew, they still had to wait for confirmation from Griffin Park.
Eventually the news came through and Albion’s players jumped on each other in joy and relief, matched by those in the boardroom as they contemplated the £170million Albion will land for promotion. Music belted around the empty ground and Bilic showed his class, congratulating Rangers on their display and leaving his players to enjoy the moment.
When he joined them, they soaked him in champagne, while Jake Livemore shed tears as he walked down the touchline for the post-match interviews.
Rangers had taken a shock lead through Ryan Manning but Grady Diangana levelled before half-time and when Callum Robinson put Albion in front, the matter seemed closed. But Eberechi Eze’s equaliser meant Bilic, who was sacked by West Ham in 2017, had to wait until the very end.
Bilic made four changes to the side beaten at Huddersfield and his side were on the front foot early, even though they struggled to test Joe Lumley seriously.
Diangana took a heavy touch when clean through, allowing Lumley to claim at his feet, before Robinson headed former QPR man Darnell Furlong’s cross wide.
Lumley then dealt well with shots long-range shots from Filip Krovinovic and Romaine Sawyers, and Matheus Pereira twice shot over following good work on the left by Diangana.
Though QPR’s mobile front three looked bright in possession, they had caused Albion few problems — until they took a shock lead in the 35th minute. Manning’s initial shot was blocked but the rebound fell perfectly for the left back, who drove a low shot into the bottom corner. .
Shortly before half-time, all three automatic promotion candidates — Albion, Brentford and Fulham — were trailing. To Bilic’s relief, his team were the first to respond as Robinson played a neat reverse pass to Diangana, who fired through Lumley’s legs for the equaliser. Albion continued to press and Robinson came close again as he slid towards Pereira’s curling cross and only just failed to make contact.
Thankfully for Albion, the onloan Sheffield United forward was in the perfect spot in the 50th minute. Diangana’s clever footwork took him away from Luke Amos and Osman Kakay and Robinson was there to steer the low ball home from six yards. He had a similarly easy chance to seal the deal five minutes later abut this time the finish was poor.
Yet just when Albion appeared to deliver the decisive blow, Rang
ers equalised when Eze sent a glorious shot into the top corner.
Albion sent on Chris Brunt for the 421st — and last — appearance of his 13-year career at the club. Soon after Brunt’s arrival, Lumley made a remarkable stop to deny Krovinovic from pointblank range. PROMOTED: Leeds & West Brom RELEGATED: Hull, Charlton, Wigan* PLAYOFFS: Swansea v Brentford (1st leg Sunday, 6.30pm) Cardiff v Fulham (1st leg Monday, 7.45pm) UP FROM LEAGUE ONE: Coventry, Rotherham, Wycombe