Vydra’s off the mark with a timely strike as Albion stop the rot
IF the idea of getting rid of Steve Clarke was to rejuvenate ailing West Brom, it appeared to have the opposite effect as they narrowly avoided defeat at home after a largely lacklustre display.
Matej Vydra came off the bench to spare the blushes of the West Brom board with an 86th-minute equaliser in their first game since the controversial sacking of Clarke last week.
The Czech Republic striker scored his first goal since arriving at the Hawthorns in August on a season-long loan from Italian side Udinese. Vydra, 21, steadied himself after receiving a well judged pass by fellow substitute Zoltan Gera and executed a mature, low finish past Allan McGregor.
Caretaker manager Keith Downing can take credit for his smart substitutions but said he was in no doubt that West Brom were in a relegation dogfight.
‘The team are short on confidence and there was a bit of edginess and a tension to it,’ said Downing. ‘The crowd got like that as well in the first half and rightly so.
‘There’s still a lot of work to be done (by the new manager) but there’s a good spirit and a squad that wants to do well. It has been a difficult week and Matej’s goal was a boost for us. It was important to stop the rot.’
Vydra’s strike meant the Baggies became the first side this season to avoid defeat in the fixture immediately following the departure of a manager. Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Tottenham, most recently, all lost. But West Brom have now taken just three points from the last 21.
The departure of Clarke appeared to have been taken badly by the players. Youssouf Mulumbu took to twitter to air his regret at the sacking. Saido Berahino simply wrote: ‘Wow I cant believe it, that’s f****** s***!!!!’ – a tweet which he later claimed was in reference to a punctured tyre.
It was his team-mates who appeared to have had the air let out in the first half. The tempo was low, ideas in short supply and simple passes routinely went astray.
Hull’s breakthrough came after 28 minutes following a long ball by Ahmed Elmohamady. A finely judged pass by Danny Graham found Jake Livermore at the right-hand side of the box. He slotted a right-footed shot through the legs of Ben Foster in front of the Hull fans.
Hull manager Steve Bruce praised Livermore. ‘He took his goal fantastically well,’ said Bruce. ‘It’s a shame it wasn’t winner as I thought he was the outstanding player on pitch. It felt like a defeat for us because the equaliser came so late. We’re devastated we didn’t hold on.’
Albion had Foster to thank for keeping them in the game. The 30-year-old was playing his first game since sustaining a foot injury in August. Five months before Roy Hodgson selects his squad for Brazil, Foster played like he wanted to impress, with two crucial second-half saves.
First, he parried a Tom Huddlestone effort and sprang back on his feet almost instantly to deny a low and powerful drive by Elmohamady.
West Brom’s two big money signings, Victor Anichebe and Nicolas Anelka, were absent. Anichebe had a ‘slight groin strain,’ while Anelka, according to Downing, is ‘preparing for the Christmas period’.
The new West Brom manager – whoever that may be – has a testing festive period in store. tBa (4JPJP): Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell (Gera 79min); Morrison, Mulumbu Brunt; Sessegnon (Vydra 69), Long, Sinclair (Berahino 45). Subs (not used): Yacob, Myhill, Lugano, Amalfitano. Booked: Jones, Gera. Hull (4J4JO): McGregor; Chester, Bruce, Davies, Elmohamady; Figueroa, Livermore, Huddlestone, Meyler; Sagbo (Fryatt 89), Graham (Boyd 80). Subs (not used): Rosenior, Koren, McShane, Harper, Faye. Booked: Meyler. rEFErEE: J Moss.