Boing boing Berahino!
Saido back in favour with Albion fans as his strike sinks Sherwood
FROM a tweet posted in anger to a goal scored with glee. In the end, a minor touch was all it took for Saido Berahino to reignite his career at West Bromwich Albion and earn a victory of great significance.
Starting his first game since emphatically claiming he would never again wear the club’s blue and white stripes, Berahino made a statement of an altogether different kind at Villa Park.
He deliberately deflected a mundane-looking shot by James Morrison to wrong-foot Brad Guzan and complete his reintegration into the squad.
He celebrated like it was his first Premier League goal, surrounded by team-mates who had previously been irritated by his conduct. At the final whistle he threw his shirt to Albion supporters as they sang his name loudly.
Tony Pulis gave him a hug, Craig Gardner pointed his way and Darren Fletcher jumped onto his shoulders. A single goal to change the atmosphere comprehensively.
The same applies in the opposite direction. Aston Villa fans booed their displeasure, not only at losing to their city rivals, who performed admirably as a unit, but also the timid display from their team.
This was a second Premier League defeat in succession, and manager Tim Sherwood must seriously consider another relegation battle beckons. There is a monumental derby on Tuesday, when Birmingham visit for the first time since 2010 in the Capital One Cup.
‘When you lose derby games patience from fans wears thin,’ said Sherwood.
‘I am fully aware of that. But Tim Sherwood is at his best when he is backed into a corner. This is a transition period, there will be a lot of ups and downs. We will put it right, there is no need for panic.’
Pulis proclaimed this display his team’s best of the season ‘by a mile’ and backed Berahino to use his decisive strike as a platform.
‘He got crucified for his behaviour but he’s a young lad and deserves help,’ said the West Brom boss. ‘The supporters were brilliant with him and hopefully he gets his head down and concentrates on what he is good at.’
Villa claimed victory on this ground twice against West Brom in the space of five days in March, the second sparking scenes described by Pulis as being from the hooligan heyday of the 1970s.
A heavy police presence was mounted yesterday in response, but the needle was consigned to verbal barbs, with Albion fans airing a lessthan-complimentary song dedicated to Sherwood. They will always remember the Villa manager’s assessment of their club as ‘little’.
Sherwood, desolate after last Sunday’s defeat by Leicester, made only one change, recalling Alan Hutton for Leandro Bacuna to add defensive security. Joleon Lescott was playing against the club he left on deadline day. Pulis selected Berahino from the start for the first time since facing Watford on August 15, although the 22-year-old operated wide left in a 4-5-1 formation rather than alongside Salomon Rondon.
West Brom’s record-signing nearly opened the scoring inside two minutes, connecting firmly with Chris Brunt’s cross. Guzan fended away sharply.
Fletcher was next to test the Villa goalkeeper, providing a moment to admire in a game sparse on quality. West Brom’s captain burst past Ashley Westwood in midfield and clipped a shot from range. Guzan sprawled to save.
Then six minutes before the interval West Brom took the lead. Craig Dawson beat Jordan Amavi to a 5050 ball by the box and James McClean’s cross looped high to Rondon. The Venezuelan striker laid it back to Morrison, whose sidefooted effort was nudged in a different direction by Berahino to leave Guzan helpless.
The wild celebrations told of a player committed to the cause again. He even waved his arms in an Albion -style ‘Boing-Boing’ tribute to fans.
In truth he was probably just happy to be scoring after managing 20 goals last season, his last coming on May 18 against Chelsea. It was his first away goal for six months since finding the net at the same stadium.
At half-time Sherwood sent on Rudy Gestede to add an aerial threat, but any improvement was marginal. Carlos Sanchez had Villa’s first shot on target in the 52nd minute, but Boaz Myhill held that effort easily.
In the 63rd minute Villa appealed for a penalty when Berahino flung out an arm to block Hutton’s cross. Referee Martin Atkinson awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area however. The ball was pulled back to Jack Grealish, whose shot went wide as Roy Keane, the Republic of Ireland assistant, looked on from the stands.
Eight minutes later Villa had the ball in the net when Micah Richards nodded in Westwood’s cross, but Atkinson had already blown for a foul on Grealish.