Leaders Baggies come firing back
PEREIRA TO THE RESCUE AGAINST BOTTOM CLUB
WEST BROM pulled off a rescue act against battling Barnsley at the Hawthorns.
Cauley Woodrow’s first-half double looked like sentencing the Championship leaders to their first defeat at home in 13 league outings going back to February 13.
But Matheus Pereira had other ideas. The on-loan midfielder’s corner was headed in for an own-goal by Bambo Diaby, before his thumping header made it all square nine minutes from time.
The unpredictably of the division was shown as the high-flying Baggies were rocked twice by bottom-club Barnsley in the early going.
Striker Woodrow gave the Tykes the lead in the 18th minute when he glanced Dimitri Cavare’s cross into the top corner after a surging move down the right.
And six minutes later it was 2-0 as this time Woodrow lashed a left-footer into the far corner past the despairing dive of Sam Johnstone from the edge of the box following Alex Mowatt’s square pass.
It was no more than Slaven Bilic’s Baggies deserved for a sloppy start.Albion left the field to a chorus of boos as they trailed at the Hawthorns at the break for only the second time this season.
Barnsley went desperately close to a third goal in the 55th minute. Cavare again led the Baggies defence a merry dance on the Tykes’ right and crossed, but Cameron McGeehan’s header hit the bar.
The Baggies were finally starting to show the form that had taken them top as they pulled one back in the 68th minute. It was fortunate as Pereira’s inswinging corner was headed into his own net by Diaby. But West Brom were piling on the pressure and Pereira met Conor Townsend’s curling cross with a peach of a downward header to net a point. WEST BROM (4-2-3-1): Johnstone 6; Furlong 6, Ajayi 6, Bartley 6, Ferguson 5 (Townsend 46, 6); Livermore 6, Sawyers 6; Edwards 5 (Krovinovic 46, 6), Pereira 7, Diangana 7 (Robson-Kanu 67, 6); Austin 6. Goals: Diaby 68 og, Pereira 81.
BARNSLEY (3-1-4-2): Collins 7; Diaby 6, Andersen 7, Sibbick 7; Dougall 7; Cavare 8, Mowatt 8, McGeehan 8, Brown 7; Woodrow 8, Chaplin 7. Goals: Woodrow 18, 24.