Barry reaches milestone with one to forget
GARETH BARRY moved level with Ryan Giggs as the Premier League’s record appearan ceholder and it must be difficult for him to think of a duller encounter in his previous 631.
His 632nd top-flight game would not have been ringed in advance as a contender for any DVD collating his career highlights and so it transpired, West Brom and West Ham contriving to produce a contest desperately low on quality or entertainment.
West Brom took until the 88th minute to find a shot on target and even then Hal Robson-Kanu’s tame header went straight into the arms of Joe Hart. West Ham were not much better, only Michail Antonio’s long-range effort in the first half requiring Ben Foster’s intervention.
In hindsight, such a result could have been telegraphed in advance given its benefits to both managers. The point can be seen as a further step in the right direction for Slaven Bilic, who was thoroughly beleaguered before last Monday’s win over Huddersfield.
And the 0-0 also helps Tony Pulis move on from his side’s 3-1 defeat at Brighton last weekend. The West Brom manager will also come away from this game reinforced in his belief that he has pulled off a coup with the signing of Grzegorz Krychowiak on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
Krychowiak, the subject of a tit-for-tat battle between Bilic and West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan over a summer pursuit, sprinkled class with every touch. But this was a day for Barry to be appreciated.
‘From the outside I have always been a great admirer of Gareth and with him coming into the club you recognise that his dedication and application is fantastic,’ said Pulis. ‘I hope our young players realise how lucky they are.’
The supporters who witnessed this game were not so fortunate. ‘It hasn’t been a great game of football but we were solid, we limited them,’ Bilic said. ‘In the second half we were dominant.’
Pedro Obiang did very nearly shatter the ennui with an outrageous piece of improvisation in the 28th minute. Collecting the ball just outside the centre circle, Obiang saw Ben Foster off his line and struck a brilliant curling shot from all of 45 yards. The ball appeared to be going in as it hung in the air but fortunately for a beaten Foster it smacked against the crossbar.
Matt Phillips was West Brom’s liveliest player and he was central to their best moment seven minutes before the break. Phillips beat Jose Fonte down the left and crossed to James Morrison, who got his free header from 10 yards badly wrong.
As the match trundled along there were groans when the board went up showing five minutes of added time. It was that kind of game, one Barry will forget in a hurry.