Hot Rod kick-starts Gayle force title drive
DARREN MOORE warned the rest of the Championship the best is yet to come from his West Brom side.
They roared to the top of the table after edging a five-goal thriller at rock-bottom Preston.
And the mild-mannered boss insists his team will take some catching as they are improving with every game. He said: “We want to get better and we’re constantly working at that.
“We’re a team in transition, we’re trying to change our style of play and get results in a very difficult division.
“There’s more to come, together as a unit and together as a football club. We will keep working at that.
“We will savour this result over the next 24 hours and then we focus on the next game and go back to work.”
The result was tough on the home side who looked to have the measure of the in-form Baggies after surviving an early scare when Chris Maxwell tipped Kyle Bartley’s close-range header over the bar.
Ryan Ledson could even have given Alex Neil’s side the lead only for his low shot from the edge of the box to hit the post.
The visitors were put on the road to their fifth win in six league games when Jay Rodriguez converted Jake Livermore’s inviting cross with a combination of his head and shoulder for his seventh of the season three minutes after the restart.
The home side battled their way back and were level after 71 minutes through a brilliant Andrew Hughes free-kick.
But all Preston’s hard work was undone when Craig Dawson’s cross from the right hit Ben Davies on the head and slowly looped over the helpless Maxwell and in.
A third from a Dwight Gayle free-kick late on ended any hope for the home side and sparked an exodus from the stands by the Preston fans who missed Alan Browne’s header in stoppage time.
“I would be lying if I said I was not concerned about the table,” said the Preston boss. “We need to pick up points and pick them up quickly.
“Winning is a habit and I losing is a habit too. All we can do is keep working hard.”
RIGHT, that’s bottom club Huddersfield out of the way. Now bring on Messi and the Barcelona boys.
Harry Kane warmed up for the Wembley Champions League showpiece on Wednesday with a double to chalk up five Premier League goals this season.
And Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino will hope his deadly striker wears the same shooting boots against the Spanish giants after revelling in the role of match-winner at the more humble surroundings of the John Smith’s Stadium.
Kane scored both in the first half and that was basically the end of a contest in which Huddersfield shed every last drop of sweat in a full-blooded, whole-hearted fight in vain to get their first win of the season.
They just weren’t a match on the day for that man Kane.
Pochettino, though, wasn’t in the mood for wild celebrations as he counted the cost of niggling injuries with inspirational Dele Alli out of the Barca game and beyond with a hamstring injury.
He said: “The players are not machines and we need to protect them. I don’t know how long Dele will be out.
“Today the ball was more in the air than on the grass. It was a massive fight between both teams. We will now see what happens on Wednesday but it will be a completely different game.
“The approach of the team was fantastic. We knew very well the game they were going to play. But I am so pleased because the team was ready to fight.
“Huddersfield played well. They gave a good performance and you need to be at the same level as the opponents.”
Huddersfield boss David Wagner remained upbeat and said: “You have to show desire and passion – and then you need a little bit of luck which we don’t have at the moment.
“We have to make sure we are all together. Be focused on your work and not the table. This is why we came into the Premier League and this is why we fought to stay in the Premier League.”
Wagner was a relieved man that Spurs were not at their best in the opening 45 minutes. They were too tentative with endless passes going astray.
But when Kane has his eye on goal you know you are in real trouble.
The first Tottenham threat came after eight minutes when Danny Rose nodded a header wide.
Then Kane scored his first after 25 minutes. Kieran Trippier picked out the England No.9 with an accurate cross for Kane to squeeze home a header.
It was harsh on Huddersfield who had bravely battled to break down Tottenham’s defence and they almost equalised when Chris Lowe fired in a first-time shot which keeper Paulo Gazzaniga saved.
If Huddersfield felt they were hard done by, the feeling of injustice grew when Tottenham were awarded a penalty.
Rose sprinted into the box and was tugged slightly by substitute Florent Hadergjonaj and referee Craig Pawson immediately pointed to the spot. Cue the crescendo of boos around the stadium.
Kane ignored the deafening protests and stepped up to despatch the penalty into the corner with Jonas Lossl diving the other way in the 34th minute.
But Huddersfield refused to stay too downhearted for long and in added first-half injury time Laurent Depoitre smashed a shot on to the underside of the bar.
How the ball stayed out is anyone’s guess.
Tottenham took their foot off the gas after the restart, although Kane still tried his hardest to get his team-mates re-motivated with his non-stop running.
Huddersfield, though, almost gave Spurs a reality check in the 79th minute when substitute Isaac Mbenza launched a rocket which was heading for the top corner before Gazzaniga pulled off a brilliant save.
And that was it. Job done. Back to north London with three precious points in the bag.