BAGGS TO RICHES
Dwight keeps WBA on track for big time
STEFAN JOHANSEN is confident of a quick repeat Premier League promotion party.
The Norwegian international helped Fulham go up last season and he’s ready to do exactly the same at West Brom.
The 28 year old’s free-kick set up Dwight Gayle for his first-half match-winner and Johansen (above), making his debut on loan, reckons the Baggies are made of the right stuff.
Stoke battled but couldn’t undo the damage of bogeyman Gayle’s 16th goal of the season.
It was Gayle who scuppered them back in September, scoring both goals in West Brom’s 2-1 win at The Hawthorns.
Johansen said: “The biggest thing I learned from last season was the importance of winning
tight games like this. But, yes, I do see similarities. I think it is tighter. Wolves and Cardiff were so many points ahead before Fulham went on an incredible run and almost caught them for automatic promotion.”
He added: “We have a good enough squad here to gain automatic promotion, two promotions in two seasons would be a fantastic achievement. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
Gayle broke the deadlock with the first clear-cut chance of the game from a well-worked free-kick.
Neither keeper had been troubled when Johansen floated the set-piece across the left of goal where Ahmed Hegazi was steaming in.
The defender volleyed it back across goal beautifully to where Gayle was lurking and he powered his header home.
Keeper Jack Butland raged over how his defence had just switched off and skipper Danny Batth knew where he was coming from.
Batth said: “It was disappointing. There were numerous occasions for us to clear. They got a little block in and you look back at that and dissect it but at the time someone has just got to head it away.
“We weren’t as open on the break. We’ve played against a team who have been free-scoring all season but I don’t remember them testing Jack too much.”
Problem was Stoke didn’t test West Brom’s keeper at all. Boss Nathan Jones pointed to the stats and said he wouldn’t be able to sleep going over a game he felt his side shouldn’t have lost.
But they did lose – for the fifth time in Jones’ six in charge and they are a pitiful 17th in the table.
If Stoke are genuinely about to turn the corner then they need to do it a bit sharpish.
STOKE: Butland 6, Edwards 7, Batth 7, Martins Indi 6, Clucas 6, Woods 6 (Berahino 81), Allen 7, Etebo 7, Ince 8 (Shawcross 90), Mcclean 6 (Bojan
68, 6), Vokes 7
WEST BROM: Johnstone 7, Holgate 7, Dawson 7, Hegazi 7, Gibbs 7,
Johansen 7 (Harper 80, 5),
Livermore 6, Barry 7, Murphy 6 (Montero 74, 5), Rodriguez 7, Gayle 8 (Bartley 90)
MOTM DWIGHT GAYLE (WEST BROM)