By Stuart Kidson
August 27 2003

West Brom moved into second place in Division One tonight following their third successive win against a 10 man Preston side. In form striker Lee Hughes made it 4 in 3 as the rejuvenated Baggies player continues on his quest to prove his critics wrong for writing him off last season. West Bromwich Albion v Preston North End

The Hawthorns, Monday 25th August 2003



West Brom moved into second place in Division One tonight following their third successive win against a 10 man Preston side. In form striker Lee Hughes made it 4 in 3 as the rejuvenated Baggies player continues on his quest to prove his critics wrong for writing him off last season.



Megson again changed the side around from Saturday’s win at Watford with Atrim Sakiri, Danny Dichio and Jason Koumas all in the starting line up, but it was Preston who created the first chance inside the first minute after Macedonian Sakiri conceded a free kick on the edge of the Baggies area. Hundreds of fans were still waiting patiently outside the Brummie Road End as Russell Hoult dealt comfortably with a low drive by North End’s Eddie Lewis.



Albion gradually began to settle down and they pushed the visitors back for periods into their own half. Hughes almost gave the home side a 10th minute lead when he let fire with a weak volley from Bernt Haas’s long throw. The ball took a deflection off Marlon Broomes and bought a fine reaction save from former Albion & Celtic keeper Jonathon Gould.



It was the visitors turn to break next after the Baggies had lost possession of the ball on the halfway line. Preston broke quickly and Hoult did well to hold onto a well hit drive towards his near post. Albion were entering that period of the game when they look to be struggling, that tense, nervy period for fans when it seems likely that the opposition will score, but Preston seemingly lacked that killer edge. Two well timed challenges from former Ipswich defender Thomas Gaardsoe inside the area denied Paul McKenna and Richard Cresswell and were to prove vital to the Baggies.



The game was thrown into controversy five minutes before the halftime whistle when against the run of play the home side was awarded a dubious penalty. Hughes was quickest to react to a badly under hit back pass by Graham Alexander. Hughes attempted to drag the ball around the on rushing Gould and was sent sprawling by the keeper. Referee Mr. Alan Kaye, immediately pointed to the spot and gave the Preston keeper a red card. Gould was incensed and had to be restrained by team mates as he voiced his opinions to the official before turning his attention on the Smethwick born striker along with several team mates. Hughes calmly ignored the protestations and waited for calm to return before placing the ball on the spot.



Four minutes passed before the game could continue with Preston being forced into making a substitution to allow the replacement goalie onto the field. David Lucas took his place between the Brummie Road End posts and his first action was to collect the ball from the back of the net after Hughes planted the ball firmly home.



The goal was the spark needed to bring the Albion to life and Haas almost grabbed a second minutes later when he sent a wonderful half volley screaming towards the top right hand corner but Lucas produced a fine save to deny the Swiss international his second Albion goal.



Albion came close to throwing the advantage away in the 6th minute of added time when Preston appealed for a penalty after Sean Gregan clashed with Ricardo Fuller in the box. Gregan, who was facing his former employers for the first time since his move to the Hawthorns, had been jeered by the traveling support throughout the game and when the Wakefield referee waved play on the jeers grew in volume.



Albion had struggled to press home their one man advantage in the final stages of the first half, but came out for the second half with the resolve to make this work in their favour. However, it was the visitors who produced the first chance of the half when McKenna’s free kick had Hoult scrambling across his goal to save the shot.



Albion went close a number of times and this saw Gary Megson decide to change things in an attempt to find a way through the North End defences. Danny Dichio was replaced by Rob Hulse and Sakiri made way for Andy Johnson. Albion were able to finally gain the upper hand in midfield and Hulse almost extended the lead following a great tackle by Gregan. The former Crewe striker picked up the loose ball and beat Michael Keane and Chris Lucketti, but his left footed shot was parried by Lucas. The loose ball fell to Hughes who dragged it round a defender before curling in a right footed shot which was headed off the line by Broome for the visitors.



Albion’s final substitution saw the formation change from the much criticised 3 – 5 – 2 to the fans favoured 4 – 3 – 3 when Scott Dobie came on for Joost Volmer. With three strikers on the pitch it was apparent Albion were looking for the calming advantage of the second goal and it almost came when Hughes slid into the area to latch onto Neil Clement’s superb cross but the shot was straight at Lucas.



Dobie and Hulse combined to produce a fine save from Lucas in the dying minutes and Preston responded to this with a final strike at the Baggies goal which went harmlessly into the side netting from Cresswell.



All in all it was not an inspiring victory for the Baggies but it was a victory all the same and sees the Stars in Stripes move into second place. The team still needs to gel into real contenders for the Division One Championship but you can be sure that the bookies will shorten the odds sometime this week. Next game sees the baggies make the short trip up the A38 to Derby.



Man of the Match selected by Jake Kidson aged 11 who is a season ticket holder in the Lower East Stand, Sean Gregan



Teams.

ALBION:

Team: Hoult, Gregan, Gaardsoe, Volmer (Dobie 78), Haas, Koumas, O’Connor, Sakiri (Johnson 55), Clement, Dichio (Hulse 58), Hughes

Subs: Murphy, J. Chambers



PRESTON:

Team: Gould, Lucketti, Davis (Jackson 72), Broomes, Alexander (Lucas 40), McKenna, O’Neil (Healy 85), Keane, Lewis, Fuller, Cresswell

Subs: Etuhu, Edwards