I MUST MORE GOALS
Hugill off mark for Albion but rues wasted chances
DAVE ARMITAGE
JORDAN HUGILL’S early goal kick-started this easy win but he still ended up apologising to the boss.
The on-loan Norwich striker set the Baggies on their way with his first goal for the club.
But he then wasted a host of chances to kill off the visitors and got a must-do-better verdict from gaffer Valerien Ismael.
Hugill’s eighth-minute strike should have sparked a cakewalk but, until Kyle Bartley and Karlan Grant added their names to the scoresheet, it was a case of missed opportunities.
Hugill said: “I’m disappointed because I know I should have had two or three more but I’m delighted to get off the mark. I’m back up and running and have that feeling back. I needed that goal to relax.
“It’s all that’s been missing. Hopefully I can kick on now and get plenty more.”
Ismael said: “I told him at half-time, ‘It’s your day’, But he had three situations where he didn’t capitalise. He needs to score more.”
Albion ran out comfortable winners in a game severely delayed by medical incidents on and off the pitch. Robins boss
Nigel Pearson made no attempt to disguise his displeasure at how his players had performed.
“We were miles off,” he admitted. “West Brom could have been out of sight.”
By the time half-time came around, Albion were comfortably in front in a game already running 25 minutes late.
Kick-off had been delayed by a quarter of an hour because a home spectator needed medical attention, and then there was a further 10 minute hold-up when
City’s Nathan Baker was concussed.
Hugill (above) set West Brom on their way with a clinical rightfoot finish after great work by Matt Phillips and Darnell Furlong. He should have had a second minutes later but blazed over and then ended up crashing into a post.
In the 16th minute he fired way over again over and shortly before the break ran clean through but keeper Daniel Bentley diverted his shot wide.
When Bartley glanced a Furlong long throw into the far corner (left) the game was as good as finished, but the drama was not.
The second half was delayed by 10 minutes as another fan, this time from a City section of the ground, had medical attention.
Grant sealed the victory, seizing on Danny Simpson’s weak back pass before beating the stranded Bentley.