By Stuart Kidson
March 2 2004

A POOR DISPLAY BY THE BAGGIES SAW THEM BLOW THE CHANCE TO GO INTO TUESDAY NIGHTS GAME WITH NORWICH LEVEL ON POINTS. THE TIME FOR THE BAGGIES TO REALISE THAT GAMES AGAINST BOTTOM OF THE TABLE SIDES ARE NOT A MERE FORMALITY IS NOW HERE AND IT IS CRUCIAL FOR THEM TO START PERFORMING. West Bromwich Albion (0) v Rotherham United (1)
The Hawthorns, Saturday 28th February 2004
Nationwide League Division One

Another poor display by West Brom cost them the chance to close the gap at the top of the table after losing at home to Rotherham with a very controversial goal in the 74th minute. The Baggies loss was their first at home in 4 months.

The home side had totally dominated the first half hour of the match and were unlucky not to have found the back of the net several times, but an alarming drop in basic understanding of team play saw them come away from The Hawthorns as losers.

Gary Megson bought Paul Robinson back into the team after his one match suspension and Russell Hoult made a surprise return between the sticks following successful epidural treatment for a back injury.

The home side were aware that Norwich were not playing due to a frozen pitch at The Stadium of Light, so the responsibility was firmly on their own shoulders to get what they could from the game and draw level with the Canaries.

Jason Koumas did not take long to put the Millers keeper, Mike Pollitt, to the test when he fired a shot straight at the keeper from the edge of the area after just 42 seconds. Striker Lee Hughes went even closer moments later when he turned inside the area but his shot went wide into the side netting. Expectation amongst the home support was of a rout as the Baggies took the game to their visitors.

A Rotherham corner did nothing to trouble the Baggies keeper and the home side were soon on the attack again when Clement found Hughes on the right with a wonderfully weighted ball. Hughes crossed and it was Koumas who was this time the recipient. He controlled the ball well but had to juggle it around in front of goal before volleying high over the bar.

The visitors had little choice but to sit and soak up the almost constant pressure being applied by the Baggies as they looked the strongest of the two sides. Geoff Horsfield was unlucky to see his effort pushed wide by an excellent save from Pollitt after he had the merest of touches with a glancing header from a Koumas cross.

Albion continued to pin Rotherham back and Clement sent a long ball over the back of the Millers defence for Horsfield to run onto. The tall striker saw Hughes open and pulled the ball back for his partner to hit a first time strike. The shot had Pollitt beaten but crept wide of the upright. The Baggies were doing everything right apart from finding the back of the net and it was looking likely that if one goal came, then a bagful would come.

Hughes had everyone in the East Stand on their feet minutes later when he shot a fraction of an inch wide and the ball bounced around behind the Smethwick End goal but it was all an illusion and the realisation that he had missed quickly sunk in.

Rotherham did not register a shot on the Albion goal until the 40th minute when Chris Sedgwick blasted high over the crossbar from 25 yards, but the Millers were now getting into the game as the Baggies entered their now trademark period when they look extremely fragile. Sedgwick again shot wide following Andy Monkhouse's cross and then minutes before the break Clement lost possession on the halfway line. Monkhouse raced clear and sent in a low cross for Michael Proctor but his stabbed shot went wide of the mark.

The second half saw the Millers start a lot brighter than the home side and Hoult was called upon to pull off a stunning block after Shaun Barker had picked up a loose ball from Andy Mullin's header. Hoult threw himself at both attacker and ball to divert the shot out for another corner.

Albion had struggled in the opening exchanges of the second half and were guilty of being lazy in most areas of the pitch. The exception to this was with Mark Kinsella in midfield and Hughes up front, so the decision by Manager Gary Megson to make a triple substitution bought about a bewildering response from the home support as he took off Kinsella, Hughes and Robinson and sent on Delroy Facey, Sean Gregan and Joost Volmer.

Albion now switched to Megson's favoured 3-5-2 formation, obvioulsy hoping that the same changes 7 days previously would bring the same results. The substitutions almost paid off when Volmer sent in a free kick which Facey managed to flick on for Horsfield, but the former Blues striker right footed shot went wide.

Controversy surrounded the only goal of the game when Darren Moore and Richard Barker were left lying injured inside the box following a collision. Stoke referee Mr. A. Bates waved play on and Sedgwick skipped through a few weak challenges before rifling the ball low past Hoult to give the South Yorkshire side the lead.

Megson went looking for an equaliser by sending Moore up front for his aerial presence but Rotherham fought hard for every ball and were resolute in their efforts to prevent the home side from grabbing a point. Pollitt had played a real Man of the Match game for the Millers and this was secured when he kept a Koumas free kick out with the slightest of touches 3 minutes from time. That was to be the last of the real chances for the Baggies who saw keeper Hoult come up for two successive corners as the game entered the three minutes of injury time.

The baggiesworld.co.uk Man of the Match went to Lee Hughes

Teams
Baggies Hoult, Haas, Moore, Gaardsoe, Robinson, Koumas, Kinsella, Johnson, Clement, Hughes, Horsfield
Subs Murphy, Volmer, Gregan, Facey, Dyer

Millers Pollitt, Stockdale, S. Barker, Swailes, Hurts, Sedgwick, Garner, Mullin, Monkhouse, Butler, Proctor
Subs Montgomery, Minto, Baudet, R. Barker, Warne