By Jemma Tappenden
November 25 2007

As both teams entered the 155th Black Country derby, it was Albion in the better league position, four points clear and three places higher than McCarthy’s men. Whilst a win would not put Wolves back in front of Albion it would close the gap between the two sides, with West Brom needing only a point to claim back second spot.

Both managers made one change to the sides which played their previous games, Mowbray replacing the injured James Morrison for Chris Brunt, and McCarthy relegating Freddie Eastwood to the bench in favour of on loan midfielder Darron Gibson. 

With a full house and bubbling atmosphere the game got off to a cracking start. The visitors had the first half chance of the game, Gibson in the 4^th minute firing well wide of the target from 30 yards.  In the 7^th minute Gibson brought Brunt down on the right side of the Wolves area.  Collins could only head the resulting free kick towards his own goal, forcing Hennessey into a save over the bar. 

The unsettled start meant both sides struggled to get any real hold on the ball, although it was Albion that emerged from the scrappiness on top. An unusual misplaced pace from Robert Koren caused the Wolves defence more problems than it might have, and Ishmael Miller closed down the loose ball.  It was a fair crack from 20 yards, but in the end caused the Wolves keeper no problems as it crashed into the boards behind goal. 

By the 21^st minute the Baggies had settled into the game and had really begun to get the better of Wolves.  Their passing game came together well, and caused Wolves a mass of difficulties.  Robinson played Brunt into play who pulled back neatly for Robert Koren.  From 15 yards Koren was only inches wide, leaving the Wolves defence breathing a heavy sigh of relief. 

It was Wolves who came close next, an unusual break from the Baggies pressure  allowing them to win a corner.  Bothroyd provided the cross and Craddock headed against the outside of the post.  But Wolves chances for the first half would be limited to the odd break, because Albion were well into their stride.   

Hennessey was relieved to watch Greening’s 25 yard belter fly over the bar in the 29^th minute, and he was under fire again moments later when Miller raced onto Koren’s through ball, leaving both Darren Ward and Neil Collins for dead as he paced down on the Wolves goal.  The shot fired straight at Hennessey meant the score remained nil nil, but there was no mistaking that Wolves were well and truly camped in their own half. 

Another rare break materialised for Wolves in the 35^th minute, Michael Kightly beating Cesar down the right to place a perfect cross to unmarked Olofinjana.  But the midfield power house headed desperately wide to waste the chance.  It was a chance they may well have rued. 

The rest of the half passed as pretty much the previous part had – in Albion’s favour. Teixeira might well have done better with his 30 yard pile drive, but Baggies chances were now coming thick and fast.  Robinson came within a whisker from Brunt’s cross, and was immediately on-call to defend; heading a Bothroyd chance over the bar after Stephen Ward had picked him out in the box. 

In the last 5 minutes of the half Wolves enjoyed what was arguably their best spell of the half, finally breaking from their own half and trying some half chances.  But only Gibson came close for Wolves with a 20 yard shot just wide.  As the whistle blew to signify the end of the first period there was no denying the half belong to Albion. 

Half Time: West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 

The second half began pretty much the same as the first had, unsettled.  The first real chance of the half came to Albion in the 56^th minute, Teixeira controlling the lay of from Hoefken’s to flummox Darren Ward and curl in a 25 yard shot which brought Wayne Hennessey to a full stretched save.   

Wolves suffered a crushing blow in the 61^st minute when Kightly went down injured.  With no challenge on Kightly his injury seems to be a carbon copy of when he came off during the Barnsley game at Molineux.  Nonetheless Kightly was replaced with Eastwood, who got his first taste of a Black Country derby.  Just two minutes later Stephen Elliot replaces a limping Jay Bothroyd which changed the look of the Wolves side yet again. 

The substitutions, whilst forced, seemed to revitalise Mick McCarthy’s Wolves side and they began to make like difficult for Mowbray’s men.  Immediately Elliot was threatening the Albion goal, and it took a superb Greening block to deny Wolves the first goal of the game. 

Albion themselves were then forced to make a change as Ishmael Miller went down injured.  Bednar coming on to replace him.  Teixeira’s excellent dummy presented substitute Beattie with a super chance to become the derby day hero, but Wayne Hennessy already on the end of some important saves rushed the feet of the Scottish international to diffuse the threat. 

Wolves, determined to avoid the humiliation they received at the Hawthorns last season, got themselves back in the game.  Albion were denied the same freedoms they enjoyed in the first half, and after being booked a frustrated Teixeira was replaced with MacDonald.  Eastwood tested Dean Kiely at his near post from 15 yards just moments after Robinson had blocked a fierce Elliot freekick.  

At the other end Darren Ward prevented Albion from breaking the deadlock by blocking Beattie, stopping him from connecting to a splitting cross.  Back in the Albion half Wolves wasted a hatful of chances, in the majority of cases not even testing keeper Kightly. 

With both sets of fans becoming frustrated the game looked as if it would swing in Albion’s favour when they were awarded an 85^th minute penalty.  Wolves defender Neil Collins in hot water for an obvious foul on Beattie in the area. All areas of the Hawthorns held their breathe as Gera places the ball to take the kick.  But it was the Wolves fans who were jubilant as Hennessey saved. 

With the score still even, a frantic final 5 minutes followed by a frantic 4 minutes added time followed.  Olofinjana hit the side netting for Wolves, but it was to be the final decent chance. As the final whistle blew both sides had to settle for a point in the first Black Country derby of the season. 

Full Time: West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers  

Attendance: 27,493