By Stuart Kidson
April 13 2003

The Rooney Roadshow rolled into the Hawthorns this week as the Baggies played hosts to the Blue half of Merseyside. Defeat at the hands of the Toffeemen, coupled with results at other games going against the Baggies could have meant that the drop back to the Nationwide. West Bromwich Albion v Everton
Saturday 12th April 2003

The Rooney Roadshow rolled into the Hawthorns this week as the Baggies played hosts to the Blue half of Merseyside. Defeat at the hands of the Toffeemen, coupled with results at other games going against the Baggies could have meant that the drop back to the Nationwide by the time the final whistle blew on Saturday afternoon.

Albion made two changes to the side that lost on Teesside last weekend with Andy Johnson and Lee Hughes returning to the starting line up in place of Phil Gilchrist and Jason Roberts. Gilly-Berto is nursing a knee injury but the rumour around the stadium was that Roberts had not even arrived at the ground.

Albion got off to a very positive start with Igor Balis setting the standard for the afternoon with a blistering run down the right. His low cross was sent towards Lee Hughes, but the flame haired strikers failure to control the ball and Everton had a goal kick.

Albion again pushed forward and in the sixth minute Danny Dichio out jumped the Everton defence to meet a Hughes cross and head towards goal. His effort had Richard Wright beaten but was denied by the crossbar. Baggies right back, Larus Sigurdsson, threw himself into the challenge in the hope of turning the loose ball into the back of the net but his effort went wide of the mark. Everton soon found the pace of the game and their first effort on the Baggies goal came from Steve Watson. His powerful shot from 15-yards was blocked by Sean Gregan.

It was the Albion who were making all the running in the opening stages of the game and they again attacked the Everton goal when Dichio laid off a Neil Clement ball to Derek McInnes on the edge of the box. The former Rangers player however, failed to connect strongly with the shot and Wright easily dealt with the weak left footed shot.

Wayne Rooney had been kept reasonably quiet by the Baggies defence for the first 15 minutes, but his first real contribution gave an example of what this teen sensation is capable of. Sweetly nutmegging Ronnie Wallwork, Rooney drilled a right footed shot towards the Brummie Road goal, but it was always rising and gave Russell Hoult no worries.

Again the Baggies pushed forward and again a Dichio header down to McInnes allowed the Scottish international to tee up the Baggies own wonderkid, Jason Koumas on the edge of the area. Koumas hit a powerful half volley but Wright had watched the ball well and had the shot covered.

Again the Baggies came forward looking for the goal to end a 7 hour goal drought. Dichio and Alan Stubbs chased down a loose ball that was going out for a corner when the Everton defender used his hand to control the ball. Orpington referee, Mr. Steve Bennett pointed straight to the spot and awarded the Baggies their first spot kick of the campaign. Delighted Baggies fans erupted as Lee Hughes grabbed the ball and ran towards the spot, but it was Bradford penalty hero Igor Balis who stepped up to take the kick almost a year to the day since THAT penalty at Bradford. The quiet Slovakian coolly placed the kick out of reach of the diving Wright and sent the Hawthorns crazy.

Everton went looking for the reply from the re-start when Thomas Gravesen used his strength to hold off challenges from Wallwork. He found mark Pembridge out wide and he swung in a dangerous cross from the left. The ball was met by Neil Clement who headed out for a corner. David Weir looked to have headed home from the flag kick and levelled the score but the truth is that Houlty somehow managed to punch the ball into his own net.

The Blues thought they had gone in front two minutes later when Kevin Campbell headed home following a Joseph Yobbo cross, but the goal was ruled offside. Lee Hughes, who had been extremely busy throughout the game, found his way past David Unsworth and his shot was well held by England hopeful, Wright.

The Baggies should have taken the lead ten minutes before the break when Hughsie again got round Unsworth and crossed for Andy Johnson. AJ will be having nightmares for weeks to come following his failure to connect properly which saw the ball go just wide of the upright from all of 3 yards out.

The Toffees again pushed forward and Wonderkid Rooney, or as the Evertonians call him, Roon-aldo, burst through the Baggies defence and attempted to lob the oncoming Houlty but his effort was pushed upwards by the keeper. Hoult reacted quicker to the loose ball and pushed it off the teenagers head out to Clemmo who cleared the Albion lines.

The contest on the pitch, which had been hard but fair for most of the game despite Everton failing to put the ball out of play to allow Balis to receive treatment on two occasions, spilt over in the technical area. David Moyes, usually a calm and controlled individual, was given his marching orders for foul language and was forced to sit in the old directors area of the Halfords Stand for the remainder of the game. Trouble also erupted in the upper corner of the Brummie Road stand and there was a short scuffle amongst the crowd. Whether an Evertonian had gained access to the BRE is uncertain but whoever he was, he did not stay in there too long.

Whilst the commotion was going on in the stand the game continued with the Albion again pushing forward looking to add to their goal. Hughes picked up the ball on the right of the Smethwick End goalmouth and crossed low for Wallwork who managed to miss the ball totally from even closer than AJ.

Albion went behind just before the break when Houlty only managed to palm the ball down to the feet of Rooney who unselfishly passed for the oncoming Campbell to tap in from two yards.

The second half started with the Baggies being pushed back into defence as Campbell headed on a Gravesen free kick which Wallwork cleared. Koumas failed to get any decent contact with the ball from 20 yards when he tried a spectacular long range volley and the misfortune in front of goal for the Baggies continued.

Clemmo found his way into the Everton area but delayed with his shot and allowed Yobbo to clear the ball. It was then Igor Balis who hesitated with a cross which fell for McInnes but his effort lacked any real pace but Wright made hard work of an easy job when pushing it away from goal.

Rooney had hardly set the ground on fire and picked up the first yellow card for Everton when he kicked the ball away after being ruled offside. Hughes again tested the Everton keeper when he attempted a snap shot from a very tight angle. Wright managed to block the shot at the near post.

A mistake by Wallwork in defence whilst trying to clear the ball almost let in Rooney who could only manage to hit the side netting. The teenager had been getting a lot of stick from the Smethwick End throughout the game and the best chants of the afternoon was quickly taken up by the others in the Smethwick. 'Lip Up Fatty, Lip Up Fatty, Fatty Rooney, Rooney' or 'Sumo' could be heard every time the Scouser touched the ball.

Albion were desperately searching for an equaliser and some very impressive play by Gregan in defence saw him controlling the back three with authority. It was Gregan who was now driving the Baggies forward and his pass to Clemmo on the left was forced out for a corner. McInnes floated the ball into the area but was only partially cleared by the Blues. Johnson was on hand to volley the ball back towards goal but Wright held the ball well to deny him his second Premiership goal.

Albion were still threatening to find the net and Balis raced forward and sent across a wonderful ball which Dichio volleyed only for his effort to go wide of the upright. Houlty held a low cross at the other end as the game flowed back and forth between goalmouths. Alan Stubbs reacted well to a Hughes volley after the Ginger Ninja had turned sharply inside the area, and the Everton defender managed to block the shot from about 14 yards out.

That was the final effort by a battling Baggies side that really should have won the game. For long periods of the game Everton could not match the effort of the Stars in Stripes who had played well all game. With results elsewhere going in the Baggies favour, Bolton losing 1 - 0 at Stamford Bridge and West Ham drawing 2 - 2 with Aston Villa at Upton Park it means that mathematically there is still a chance that the Baggies can survive the drop for at least another week.

The unenviable task of choosing Man of the Match today fell to Martin Todd, 16, of Bearwood. Martin, a regular in the East Stand could have chosen any of the Baggies today, in particular Siggy, Koumas or Clement but his vote was for Sean Gregan.

Team: Russell Hoult, Larus Sigurdsson, Ronnie Wallwork, Sean Gregan, Igor Balis, Derek McInnes (78), Jason Koumas, Andy Johnson, Neil Clement (82), Danny Dichio, Lee Hughes.