By Jemma Tappenden
March 5 2008

Tony Mowbray has already made it clear that the league remains Albion’s top priority this season. But the gaffer has conceded that pretty football alone will not be enough to secure promotion. Grinding out results is what counts as much now, and that can certainly be said of lastnight’s fixture away at Hillsborough, as West Brom visited relegation strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.

Mowbray handed a first start to Luke Moore, who came in for Ishmael Miller who had to be satisfied with a place on the bench.  Teixeira who went off injured after only 18 minutes on Saturday against Plymouth was replaced by Zoltan Gera, and both Phillips and Morrison took places on the bench after recovering from niggling injuries. 

The home side got off to a flying start, Tommy Spurr cutting inside from the left to release a low 20 yard striker which kept Dean Kiely on his toes.  Albion had a half chance within the first couple of minutes when Jonathan Greening found Moore with a diagonal ball.  Moore undoubtedly had defender Richard Wood outwitted, but keeper Lee grant was alert to race off his line and gather the danger. 

In the 7^th minute Richard Hinds had the chance to put the hosts a goal up when he latched onto a cross from Adam Bolder.  But he wasted his chance by firing straight at Kiely when he might have done better.  In the 15^th minute, Chris Brunt, returning to his former club for the first time since his summer transfer to Albion, tested Grant with a shot from a tight angle.  Spilling on his first attempt, Grant was grateful to finally gather the ball on his second. 

Albion had a superb chance in the 24^th minute to take the lead, Brunt punted in what looked to be an over powerful lost cross, but Gera retrieved the ball on the edge of the box, playing it in to Koren who forced a superb stop from keeper Grant with a first time volley.  Unable to hold the ball, the rebound fell to Brunt.  But he blasted his first time shot wide of the target. 

Paul Robinson was almost gifted the chance to put the Baggies in front seven minutes before half time, when a corner from Brunt was flicked dangerously across the face of goal by Showunmi.  Grant was stranded leaving Robinson the whole goal to target, yet somehow he miscued from 12 yards.  Almost on the whistle Barnett produced a vital block to prevent Tudgay putting Wednesday in front. 

Half Time: Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 West Bromwich Albion 

It was Wednesday who came out the brighter after the break, Kavanagh coming the closest for the home side after he had been played in by Tudgay.  At the other end Gera was demonstrating why he has been the subject of much transfer speculation as he skipped passed Bolder to deliver a cross which was sure to find Moore if not for the brave block of Mark Beevers. 

Just minutes later Brunt played a ball which released Moore down the left.  He paced into the box easily outfoxing Wednesday skipper Woods.  But the onloan striker wanted a touch too many, and instead of shooting he tried to outwit Beevers who easily disposed the young striker. 

In the 56^th minute an alert Kiely made a save at the feet of Showunmi who had somehow found himself in space from 12 yards.  In the 62^nd minute Ishmael Miller made an appearance, replacing Roman Bednar who was suffering a slight knock to the ankle.  The game was losing any sparks of life quickly, and Albion did not see another real chance until the 70^th minute. 

Brunt had tried his luck with an ambitious 30 yarder, which somehow rebound off Moore to fall for Koren.  Koren was close, but not close enough as the fixture looked like petering out to a boring 0-0 draw. 

In the 75^th minute Mowbray made a change that would prove to be crucial as Moore made an exit and this season’s championship player of the year Kevin Phillips came on.  In the 78^th minute Sheffield Wednesday found themselves down to 10 men, after Johnson was shown a red card for an elbow challenge on Greening.  But Greening also found himself in the book for his reaction to the challenge. 

In the 88^th minute Tudgay looked to have snatched a late winner for the Owls, in close range to Kiely he looked a certainty to score with his volley.  But Barnett somehow did enough to make a nuisance of himself and prevent Tudgay from getting a clean shot. Deep into injury time substitute Morrison, on for Brunt, used his head to connect to Robinson’s cross and really should have put his shot away. 

But the game was not dead and buried yet.  Morrison, this time provider put in a cross which allowed Phillips to net his 18^th goal of the season, and take all three vital points home to the Midlands. 

Full Time: Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 West Bromwich Albion 

Phillips (90+4) 

Attendance: 18,805