Mowbray made just one change to the side which beat Norwich, Ishmael Miller starting in place of Roan Bednar.  The Hawthorns was full of expectation and the atmosphere was one of optimism as Albion welcomed another sell out crowd.  But it was the Saints who recorded the games first shot on goal after a nervy opening seven minutes from both sides.  Viafara shot wide from 25 yards, which was almost immediately followed up by a similar effort from Inigo Idiakez. 

It was an unsettled start from the Baggies, who kept fans waiting until the 15^th minute for their first real chance on goal.  Kevin Phillips would surely have been clean through on goal had it not been for the last ditch effort of defender Chris Perry to clear the ball.  Moments later James Morrison fired well wide from a distance of 20 yards. 

Southampton were limiting themselves to long range efforts which were clearly angering the travelling fans as their limited success continued.  Stern John was the next player to raise moans of dismay from the away contingent as her fired well over from long range. 

Former baggie Chris Perry was determined to not let Albion get the better of his side, and he was on-call again to prevent the danger when Miller was preparing to shoot from 15 yards.  Keeper Richard Wright was the next to keep the Saints in it as he bravely raced to the edge of his are to prevent Koren connecting to a sublime throughball from Gera. 

It had taken Albion a long time to find any real purpose in attack, but when they did it was clear that Southampton looked shaky at the back.  Wright remained persistent in goal and did well to hold on to a searching right wing cross from Gera to prevent a lurking Phillips from connecting.  In the 34^th minute Clement tried an ambitious shot from 30 yards, but failed to trouble the Saints keeper. 

Albion received a real let off in the 37^th minute, a left wing Jason Euell cross took an awkward deflection off Clement and into the path of Marek Saganowski.  But he blazed over the bar from just 10 yards when he had had the chance to put the Saints a goal up. 

The last few minutes of the first half ended in a flurry.  Keeper Richard Wright was again in the right place to mop up a loose ball to prevent both Miller and Phillips from making a simple pass home, and the half ended with Gera firing in a hard shot from 20 yards which Wright held well. 

Half Time: West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Southampton 

Albion started the half on the attack, Gera again getting in the thick of the action searching for what would have been his third goal in as many games.  He climbed high above the Southampton defence to try and head goalbound a Greening corner.  But keeper Wright was there to deny the Baggies a goal again. 

Just minutes later Ishmael Miller charged into the box and did well to shrug off both Youssef Safri and Perry, only to see Wright hold the resulting shot at the near post.  Clever play from Robinson and Phillips allowed Morrison a semi decent chance from 18 yards.  But Albion could not find a way through the defence of the side scrapping for Championship survival. 

In the 57^th minute Miller went really close for the Baggies when a neat left footed shot for once got the better of Wright.  But his effort rebound off Perry and crept out of play just wide of the post.  Morrison received a slight knock in the 64^th minute and so was replaced by Chris Brunt. Mowbray made a second substitution just five minutes later as Bednar replaced Miller in the hope that the vital breakthrough could be found. 

In the 71^st minute a searching cross from Brunt was headed just wide by Phillips, and in the 75^th minute Phillips looked odds on to score after Gera flicked on Clement’s diagonal freekick.  But the leading scorer’s header was somehow deflected away from goal by Wright at point blank range. 

Southampton had produced little so far in the second half which had been all Baggies but with no breakthrough.  They did however have a rare attack in the in the 77^th minute as Lallana raced into the box only to fire straight at Kiely.  But just sixty seconds later the Hawthorns was stunned into silence as Lallana again ran clear of the Baggies defence and onto Jermaine Wright’s pass before this time firing just past Kiely to put the Saints a goal up. 

With only 11 minutes left to play Saints fans were convinced that this was the three points that could spare their relegation blushes, and Albion fans left fearing that they would have to wait until the final day of the season to discover their fate.  It was beginning to look like not being Albion’s day as Clement wasted a glorious chance to equalise in the 81^st minute when he directed a 6 yard header over the bar from brunt’s corner. 

Another Brunt corner might have become more fruitful as Luke Moore, Mowbray’s third substitute of the evening went agonisingly close with another header.  But in the 84^th minute the Hawthorns was rocking as the equaliser, and the vital point that would seal promotion came.   

Viafara failed to deal with Bednar’s throughball which teed up Brunt nicely on the edge of the box.  The super sub made no mistake in finding the target as he fired the ball through the gap between Wright and the post.  As the game came to an end Albion searched for the goal that would bring them all three points.  But it never came. 

Albion will have to wait until the final game of the season away at QPR to see whether they can claim the Championship title, but that was certainly not in the forefront of the minds of Baggies fans who swarmed the pitch at fulltime safe in the knowledge that they will be playing Premiership football next season.  Unless of course the Baggies should lose on Sunday and Hull miraculously beat Ipswich Town by a clear 13 goals.  Job done I would say. 

Full Time: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Southampton 

Brunt (84) 

Lallana (78) 

Attendance: 26,167

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