By Jemma Tappenden
December 6 2008

Tony Mowbray’s men won’t be too disheartened I imagine. The only club ever to have survived the Premiership drop having been bottom at Christmas means they can take a somewhat optimistic view of the present situation. But with even Steve Bruce acknowledging that his side had robbed Albion on Saturday, something needs to be addressed and quickly.

The tag of ‘nice football’ is wearing thin with Baggies fans.  Desperation for points is seeping in.  And they nearly picked one up at the JJB, before the 87^th minute signalled another return to the Midlands empty handed. 

 

Albion should have been ahead in the game as early as two minutes in.  Morrison made short work of Bramble and Taylor’s attempts to muscle him off the ball and placed a perfect ball into the six yard box where Ishmael Miller was agonisingly close to making contact.  But Wigan were giving out some early warning signs of their own.  Five minutes later ex Wolves man Henri Camara got onto the end of Heskey’s near post flick on, only to send his close range volley into row Z.

 

Chances were not in short for Albion, Zuiverloon placed a header wide of the target after stretching himself to meet Greening’s corner, and in the 16^th minute Greening again the provider set Miller up with the perfect chance, only to see Boyce reach the ball before the Baggies front man. 

 

Brunt missed narrowly in the 21^st minute with a 30 yard screamer of a free kick, and just moments later a clearance from Brunt allowed Greening to pace up field, shrugging of Boyce to place a left footed effort well wide of the target when Miller was positioned for a simple tap in.  Albion had somewhat dominated the opening half an hour, and Steve Bruce’s men were struggling to get a foothold in the game.  A rare Latics chance was wasted by Heskey, who headed wide from 12 yards.

 

Back came the Baggies though, and Meite this time missed a golden opportunity to put them in front when he headed Brunt’s corner back down the line to him rather than in the direction of goal.  Meite was in the thick of the action five minutes later also, but for all the wrong reasons.  His needless handling of the ball gave away a free kick in a dangerous area, But Scott Carson pulled off a tremendous save to avert the danger round his right hand post.

 

Half Time: Wigan Athletic 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

 

It took the Baggies just two minutes to put the ball in the net after the restart.  Boyce squared the ball to Bramble at the back for what should have been some routine football, but Bramble found himself in trouble as Miller dispossessed him and calmly sprinted to the box to slot coolly past Kirkland.

 

It should have been two four minutes later when Miller flicked on a perfect ball from Koren to send Morrison clear.  Morrison released the right footed shot, which barely troubled Kirkland as he made the save.  On the hour mark record signing Borja Valero set up Miller, who found himself well blocked by Boyce.  But the game was about to take a twist that would leave Albion reflecting on a wealth of missed chances.

 

Michael Brown was replaced by ex-Baggie Jason Koumas, to a chorus of boos from the travelling support.  And just a minute later Henri Camara found Wigan’s equaliser when he volleyed past Carson from 8 yards after exploiting Robinson’s weak header.  Determined to not let it ruin the party, Albion began to press even harder for a second goal of their own.

 

Greening fired wide from a difficult angle, and in the 68^th minute Brunt centred for Valero who 15 yard header was too weak to trouble Kirkland.  The Wigan keeper was on top form seven minutes later however, when Brunt’s right wing corner was headed from point blank range by Olsson.  Somehow he bent the ball out and away from danger.  Five minutes later Kirkland was producing another superb save, this time from Greening.

 

But three minutes from time Albion hearts were broken when Zuiverloon lost track of Boyce during a Koumas corner, leaving him unmarked to place a top class corner into the top left corner.  After dominating so much of the game and so many of the chances, Albion once again left with nothing.

 

Full Time: Wigan Athletic 2-1 West Bromwich Albion

 

Miller (47)

 

Camara (61)

 

Boyce (87)

 

Attendance: 17,054.