By Stuart Kidson
November 30 2003

'TOP OF THE LEAGUE, WE'RE HAVING A LAUGH' Baggies fans at The City Ground added a new song to their song sheet this weekend as Jason Koumas gave the best performance he has had in a Baggies shirt. Nottingham Forest (0) v West Bromwich Albion (3)
The City Ground, Saturday 29th November 2003

The Albion travelled the short distance up the M42 this weekend for their fixture away at Nottingham Forest and made it a wondrous day for the 4000 travelling fans with a goal of sheer brilliance, a solid performance by the team and the return of Big Dave to first team action.

Gary Megson gave Baggies fans everywhere his Christmas present a month early by naming the big central defender as a substitute which bought rapturous applause from the Barmy Army. Danny Dichio returned to the starting line up in place of Scott Dobie who is out with a bruised hamstring and Lee Hughes was not selected for the squad in view of his circumstances surrounding last weekend. Forest included new signing Marlon King, a £950,000 signing from Gillingham.

The home side almost took an early lead when Eoin Jess was given time to fire off a long range shot but Russell Hoult tipped the ball around the upright for a corner. Forest kept up the pressure as the Baggies looked uncomfortable in the opening stages of the game and allowed the home side time and space with the ball.

Gregor Robertson looked particularly lively down the right for the home side and sent over numerous quality crosses but either Hoult or one of the three defenders were able to deal with the ball for the away side.

Koumas was looking lively as well for the Baggies and it was the Wrexham born midfielder who had the first chance for the Baggies. He skipped past Brynyar Gunnarsson and raced towards the away fans behind the Bridgford End goal, but his weak shot did little to trouble Darren Ward in the Forest goal. Forest replied in kind minutes later when Gunnarsson was set up by Jess on 20 yards and the Icelander's shot produced a fine save from Hoult.

Albion's first corner of the game came when Andy Johnson, who had been booed during the warm up by fans who once worshipped him, went running down the right and saw his cross deflected out. Nothing came of the first corner, but the Baggies forced Forest into another corner almost immediately but an Albion player was deemed to have been pushing and a free kick to the home side gave them a respite for the increasing Baggies pressure.

Andy Reid was beginning to cause concern to the away fans as he was superb for Forest down the left side of the pitch, and just on 20 minutes he set up Gareth Williams but he could not stop the ball from rising as it sailed over the Baggies crossbar from 12 yards out.

Forest looked likeliest to open the scoring as they continued to pressure the Baggies back line and Eugen Bopp was allowed to run across the face of the 18 yard box before firing off a shot just wide of the upright, but for all of their pressure the home side lacked a final clinical finish to bring their deserved rewards. Albion soaked up the pressure and were far from being in control of the game but they did deny the home side any chances from close range.

The Baggies made a rare foray towards the Forest goal and Rob Hulse was dealt with just as he was about to shoot by former England star Des Walker and John Thompson. Hulse could only produce a weakened shot thanks to the attentions of the two Forest played his effort rolled harmlessly through to Ward.

Albion were beginning to match the home side for effort and their best chance fell to former Forest player Johnson, when a Koumas cross from the right found him unmarked 8 yards from goal. His header left a lot to be desired though and the ball fell straight to Ward.

Koumas seemed to be enjoying his game and was always threatening to be a problem for the Forest players to deal with. he was instrumental in the majority of the Baggies attacks and he went on a fantastic run in the heart of midfield before laying a wonderfully weighted through ball for Hulse. Unfortunately for the Baggies the ball got caught under the former Crewe strikers legs and the opportunity passed.

Albion had a penalty decision turned down after Hulse was seemingly pulled back by veteran Walker who had hold of the Baggies forwards shirt, but Mr. P. Taylor ruled against the Baggies and Walker got away with the offence. Mr. Taylor then caused some controversy when he ruled that Hulse was offside when he headed over Ward to put the ball in the back of the net.

Albion were now settled into the game and finally broke the deadlock whan Koumas sent the away fans behind the Forest goal into raptures with perhaps one of the finest goals scored in the blue and white stripes of the club. Koumas picked up a loose ball on the halfway line and set off on a mazy, jinking run that had the Forest midfield mesmerised. Gunnarsson put in a challenge but the Welsh wizard was not going to be stopped and his chip from 25 yards looked as if it was going to hit the crossbar, but at the last minute it dropped and settled in the back of the net. The packed lower tier of the Bridgford End went barmy and all that could be heard around the ground was the massed chanting of 'JASON KOUMAS'.

In the 44th minute the Albion were awarded a free kick out wide on the right for a foul on Johnson. Koumas stepped up and sent over a deep cross which hit the unfortunate Matthieu Louis-Jean on the thigh and rebounded beyond the stretching Ward to give the visitors a 2 goal lead. Having just calmed down from the first goal the away fans were soon off on their praise of Koumas again.

Forest made a change during the break when Wes Morgan came of for Thompson, but Albion started the second period as they had finished the first and that man Koumas was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the home side. However, it was not all Albion and Forest were always a threat as they went looking for a goal to give them a stake in the game.

Thomas Gaardsoe was forced to be at full stretch as reid went looking for the back of the net and Gunnarsson was unlucky when he found himself unmarked for a Robertson cross but the effort went just wide of the upright. The Stars in Stripes were happy to allow Forest to keep coming at them and worked well to deny the home side anything but long range shots which Hoult was more than comfortable to deal with.

Paul Hart could be seen in his technical area kicking and heading every ball for his team and he gave the home fans a first tatse of their new signing when he sent on Marlon King for his home debut. The thinking behind the decision was to be able to get a player on who could keep his head in the box and try to get behind the solid Baggies defence.

Albion replaced Bernt Haas with James Chambers late in the half, but the last word fell to that man Koumas who again set off on a fantastic run to finish off the home side and send the Barmy Army home happy with a sixth away win of the season. As if the scoreline was not enough Gary Megson filled baggies hearts everywhere with joy as he sent on Darren 'Big Dave' Moore in place of Man of the Match Koumas with 5 minutes left on the clock.

All in all thanks to a stunning individual performance by Koumas and some neat and tidy play from the rest of the team, who all played well, Albion remained at the top of the tree as we enter the Christmas period. Forest were unlucky not to get something from the game as they matched the Baggies every step of the way except in the finishing department but with King now on the payroll that will soon be rectified as he settles down to life in the East Midlands.

Man of the Match was selected by Jake Kidson, 11 and he awarded the honour to: Jason Koumas

TEAMS

FOREST: Ward, Louis-Jean, Robertson, Walker, Thompson, Bopp, Williams, Jess, Gunnarsson, Taylor, Reid

Subs King, Roche, Morgan, Sonner, Gardner

BAGGIES: Hoult, Gregan, Gaardsoe, Gilchrist, Haas, Johnson, O'Connor, Koumas, Robinson, Hulse, Dichio

Subs N'Dour, Clement, J. Chambers, Moore, Murphy