By Jemma Tappenden
April 9 2008

In a dramatic ten minute flurry which saw 3 goals, the Baggies stormed their way back to the top of the Championship table. Tony Mowbray made four changes to the side which saw defeat at Wembley, Gera missing out altogether as Phillips, Bednar and Morrison dropped to the bench in favour of Moore, Miller, Brunt and Pele. Blackpool named an unchanged side.

After a slow and steady start from both sides the first real effort on goal game after 11 minutes, when a right wing free kick was swung in by Chris Brunt for Neil Clement to head wide of the near post.  But Blackpool, eager to show the Baggies that they could be a real threat showed early warning signs when Burgess headed onto the post from a Crainey free kick in the 13^th minute.

 

In the 16^th minute Albion broke with pace, a searching pass from Hoefkens finding Miller and placing him one on one with Crainey.  Lack of vision from Miller however saw him win a corner for Albion when he might have found Brunt in the middle with a clear path to goal.

 

The Baggies were enjoying a lot of possession, but were struggling to make anything productive from it.  In the 25^th minute brunt decided to try his luck from 30 yards, but his effort never troubled the Seasiders keeper Rachubka as it landed on top of the net.  Just a minute later Albion received another huge let off when Wes Hoolahan found McPhee after Clement had given away possession.  Luckily McPhee could not even get his effort on target.

 

In the 28^th minute Tony Mowbray was forced into an early substitution, Leon Barnett coming on in place of Martin Albrechtsen who had developed a groin strain.  On 30 minutes clever interplay between Brunt and Miller allowed the latter to break down the left.  He centred where a waiting Luke Moore could not quite get enough to have t a touch.

 

In the 35^th minute West Brom found themselves a goal behind, another Crainey and Burgess link up for a free kick resulting in the goal.  Clearly Albion had not learnt from the early let off, and as Crainey swung in the free kick it was Burgess who was first to the ball to head home from 6 yards.

 

It could have been two goals just a minute later.  McPhee beat the offside trap well, but combined efforts from Barnett and Kiely were enough to distract the striker into placing his effort well wide.  The final chance of the half came 5 minutes before the whistle, Ian Evatt letting rip a superb effort from 35 yards which had Kiely well beat, but could not dip enough in time to find the target.

 

Half Time: Blackpool 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

 

Mowbray made a half time switch, Morrison coming on for Pele.  But it was Blackpool who started off the half the better.  McPhee on the break found Michael Flynn, but his miscued his effort well wide.  And it took a fine save from Kiely to prevent a second goal after McPhee took a first time shot from Burgess’ flick on.

 

In the 61^st minute a dangerously placed corner from Hoolahan caused chaos in the baggies defence, allowing Evatt to creep in at the back post and head just over.  The first real second half chance for Albion came in the 65^th minute, a long diagonal ball finding Miller who flicked on to Hoefkens.  Hoefkens raced to find Moore in the centre but his attempt was well blacked by Evatt.

 

In the 67^th minute Mowbray took his final throw of the dice, replacing Chris Brunt with Kevin Phillips.  But it would turn out to be a match winning tactical change from the Baggies gaffer.  It took until the 79^th minute before Albion really tested the Blackpool keeper, Phillips with a near post effort from Greening’s throughball.

 

But the final 9 minutes of the game were to bring real drama.  In the 81^st minute Hoefkens was brought down in the box by Crainey, conceding a late penalty, which super sub Phillips stepped up to take, bagging his 23^rd goal of the campaign and Albion’s 100^th goal in all competitions this season.

 

Three minutes later it was goal 24 and 101 respectively, as Miller went on a powerful run to provide a cross for Phillips which left him with the simplest of tap ins.  The shell shock didn’t stop there for Blackpool either.  In the 87^th minute Robert Koren released Ishmael Miller who screamed a sublime left footed shot into the top left corner.

 

They took plenty of time to get going, but they could have scored more, and most importantly they gained three points to restore their lead at the top of the table.

 

Full Time: Blackpool 1-3 West Bromwich Albion

 

Phillips (81 pen, 84)

 

Miller (87)

 

Burgess (35)

 

Attendance: 9,628.