By Stuart Kidson
December 16 2003

ALBION MADE IT 11 UNBEATEN IN ALL COMPETITIONS. But is their home form good enough to get them back into the Premiership ? Despite having 29 shots on target they still drew. Will Geoff Horsfield make a difference at the Hawthorns ? Aologies again for late posting. West Bromwich Albion (2) v Crewe Alexandra (2)
The Hawthorns, Saturday 13th December 2003

The Baggies were grateful to skipper Sean Gregan for his first goal of the season as they trailed 2 - 1 to Dario Gradi's Crewe on Saturday despite having 29 attempts on goal. Gregan's knee extended the unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions, but despite his efforts Gregan still picked up some criticism from certain sections of the home support.

Albion were by far the more dominant in the opening stages of the game, a game in which they broke with tradition and attacked the Brummie Road End in the first half, and they soon had the South Cheshire side back peddling as they went looking for a comfortable win.

Jason Koumas was first to register a shot at Clayton Ince in the Railwaymen's goal, but his effort took a deflection and looped over the bar for a corner. Koumas swung the ball over and amongst a melee of bodies either Thomas Gaardsoe or Gregan got the flick which sent the ball goal bound. Crewe were grateful to Steven Jones whose header off the line prevented the home side taking the lead.

The opening five minutes saw the Baggies have a series of corners as they piled the pressure on the visitors. The atmosphere around the ground was electric as hopes of a bagful of goals at Crewe's expense would extend the lead at the top of the table. The best of the corners fell to Gaardsoe and Andy Johnson.

Gaardsoe was unmarked when the ball fell just right for him 12 yards from goal. His low drive took a deflection and went a fraction of an inch wide of the upright for a corner. The flag kick that ensued saw Johnson go even closer as his powerful volley forced Ince into making a terrific save as the Welsh international unleashed his shot from 20 yards.

It was a merely a matter of time before the Baggies hit the back of the net and in the 9th minute the chance fell to Bernt Haas who slammed the ball into the net following a fumbled save from Ince off an in swinging Koumas free kick.

The home side were unrelenting as they again pushed forward and James O'Connor was unlucky not to register his first goal for the Baggies as his shot took another deflection off an Alex player.

Albion have been guilty of taking their foot off the pedal once they get a one goal lead all season, and this game was to prove to be no exception. Crewe were there for the taking but lacksy daisical defending by the home side at a corner allowed Crewe to level the scores and silence the home crowd.

Moments later Crewe scorer Steven Jones was again allowed space to head towards Russell Hoult's goal but the Railwayman did not aim his header correctly and the Baggies could breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The Baggies were soon out of that nervous 10 minute period they have at every game when Paul Robinson sent over a probing cross which had Ince well beaten. Unfortunately for the former Watford wing back he saw the ball come back off the post and out to safety.

Scott Dobie threw himself at a Koumas cross but his header in front of goal was never going to drop in time and the ball nesteled on the wrong side of the roof of the net. Moments later Rob Hulse could have scored against his former club when he instinctively poked at a loose ball but his effort went wide.

The Baggies were shooting at will now as they laid siege to the Crewe goal. Hulse turned on the edge of the box and shot but the ball was always rising and sailed high over the bar. Koumas got in on the act when he had a corner kick cleared off the line by Lunt, but the ball came out wide to him again and he skipped and jinked his way into the box but his shot took another deflection and out for a corner again.

Hulse and former team mate Billy Jones were involved in a clash of heads that saw the 16 year old Crewe player go off for stitches to his wound, whilst Hulse was able to continue. Crewe then produced the shock of the game when they pulled ahead and silenced the home crowd but sent the thousand or so fans who had travelled down from Junction 16 wild with delight.

Dean Ashton was left unmarked on the far post and he headed across the face of the Baggies goal for Crewe skipper Wright, to poke the ball home as the Baggies defenders stood around watching. The Crewe fans lost no time in singing out to Hulse 'Robbie, Whats the score ?, Robbie, Robbie, Whats the score ?'

The Baggies came from the break intent on clawing their way back into the game but Crewe had the bit between their teeth and a last ditch tackle by Robinson prevented Luke Varney sliding into poke home a cross from Antony Tonkin. The action soon went to the Crewe end when Hulse fired off a powerful header, but the ball took a deflection and Ince was there to catch the ball.

The Baggies were beginning to look tired as they launched wave after wave of attacks at the Crewe defence, but like most other teams this season, Crewe had come to the Hawthorns to defend and Gary Megson decided to change things around in an attempt to break the frustration. He sent on Artim Sakiri for O'Connor and the baggies went to a 4-4-2 formation.

The Baggies were struggling to make any inroads despite long periods of possession as Crewe were quite happy to defend deep and soak up any pressure. The game was just over an hour old when Lee Hughes made his first appearance at home since that fateful accident and immediately he was greeted with volleys of abuse from the away support.

Albion made a promising move shortly after when Koumas found space on the edge of the box but his shot was mishit and caused no problems for Ince. Ince was again called upon to keep his side in with a chance when he made the save of the game when he somehow got his hand to a Hulse header from a corner by Sakiri.

The pressure paid off for the Baggies when Gregan clawed a goal back with his right knee as he ran into the box. The noisy Crewe following were silenced and Hulse made sure he let them know how he felt by running past them and punching the air.

Hughes could have put the home side in front minutes later when he cleverly flicked the ball from another corner but Ince was on hand to stop him. Crewe had one last effort when Varney fired a right footed shot from 20 yards but the ball was always going wide of the mark.

Hulse headed straight at Ince again and Crewe managed to weather a late flurry of pressure from the home side, to hold onto their point. Manager Gary Megson is reported to have said that he was dissapointed by the defenders who had taken liberties they had no right to and it will be interesting to see what changes will be made for the Carling Cup tie against Arsenal on Tuesday evening.

The baggiesworld Man of the Match went to Andy Johnson

Teams
BAGGIES
HOULT, GREGAN, GAARDSOE, VOLMER, HAAS, KOUMAS, O'CONNOR, JOHNSON, P. ROBINSON, HULSE, DOBIE

Subs
MURPHY, SAKIRI, HUGHES, CLEMENT, J. CHAMBERS

CREWE
INCE, WRIGHT, FOSTER, MCCREADEY, TONKIN, LUNT, COCHRANE, B. JONES, VARNEY, ASHTON, S. JONES

Subs
BANKOLE, J. ROBINSON, SMART, HIGDEN, MOSES