VILLA’S PLAY-OFF DREAM ERODING
Baggies prove too powerful
WEST Brom easily won the local derby and Aston Villa manager Dean Smith virtually admitted promotion has gone now for his side.
Smith, in charge for four months and a Villa supporter all his life, has won only two of his past 13 Championship games.
These two Albion goals made it 32 conceded in 17 league games at Villa Park, the worst home record in all four divisions.
It’s certainly not looking good.
“All we can do is to go into the next game and try to win,” said Smith.
“Mathematically it’s not out of reach. It’s getting harder that’s for sure. We don’t do ourselves any favours with the goals we give away.
“Will it take something special now to get in the playoffs? This can be a special place, so there is no reason why we can’t close the gap.”
Villa are just in the Championship’s top-10 places, seven points short of a play-off spot and have played more games than most teams above them.
From the moment Tammy Abraham wasted an eighth-minute chance, Villa were second best.
Abraham took a poor touch after a pass by Ahmed Elmohamady that gave Baggies goalkeeper Sam Johnstone a chance.
Johnstone dived and saved at Abraham’s feet when really the ball should have been blasted past him.
“If that had gone in it could have been a different story,” said Smith. But twice Jacob Murphy and Mason Holgate could have put West Brom ahead before Albion’s double blow just before half-time.
Goaleeper Lovre Kalinic came out for a Holgate cross in the 41st minute and was totally beaten when Hal Robson-Kanu got there and looped in a header.
Four minutes later Jay Rodriguez saw his moment as the ball ran free from a Conor Hourihane tackle and smashed in a shot via a post for his 17th goal of the season. Kalinic, injured in making a save from Jake Livermore, had time to think about it all because he didn’t come out for the second half, with sub keeper Jed Steer taking over.
Kalinic was left dizzy from a whack on the head, but West Brom were totally clearheaded about what they had to do.
They didn’t really bother about giving Steer a test.
Albion, so well led by Gareth Barry as he comes up to his 38th birthday on Saturday, sat back and protected their win, keeping them fourth, 13 points in front of Villa. “To get three points on the road in this division is always rewarding,” said West Brom boss Darren Moore.
“Villa have had remarkable comebacks this season so their resilience is good. We knew we had to be at our best.
“Everyone did their job right through the team.”
West Brom waited to see if Villa could stage one of those dramatic, late comebacks that have become their trademark .
They couldn’t.