By Stuart Kidson
April 2 2004

BIG DAVE STRUCK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER IMPORTANT GOAL AGAINST THE SOUTH LONDON SIDE. LAST TIME IT WAS TO TAKE THE BAGGIES INTO THE PREMIERSHIP, THIS TIME IT HELPED KEEP THE BAGGIES ON COURSE FOR A RETURN. West Bromwich Albion (2) v Crystal Palace (0)
Saturday 27th March 2004, The Hawthorns
Nationwide League Division One

Albion made four changes to the side for their first game in 11 days with Manager Gary Megson bringing Macedonian skipper Artim Sakiri back into the starting line up for the first time in 10 games, Mark Kinsella also returned to the starting line up along with James Chambers and Rob Hulse.

Baggies fans were asked by the Club to make the remaining home games as noisy as possible in the final weeks of this seasons campaign, but there was a nervous edge to the afternoon, which could be felt in the pre-match period. Albion went into the game 7 points ahead of third place and level on points with leaders Norwich City, but the changes to Crystal Palace’s fortunes since the arrival of former player Ian Dowie have been superb, winning 10 of their last 15 games. Was there the potential of a Baggies slip up at this crucial period of the season?

Despite the nerves on the terraces of The Hawthorns, Sakiri was going to make the most of his opportunity and he was soon in the thick of the action when he sent Lee Hughes clear down the left but the Smethwick born striker wasted his chance from the edge of the box.

Palace were not going to give up on their aspirations of a Play Off place and were soon putting Russell Hoult under pressure. Danny Butterfield collected a pass from Michael Hughes’ free kick and let rip from 35 yards, but the ball was always rising and sailed just over the crossbar. Moments later Wayne Routledge sent over a cross which seemed to hang in the air for an eternity, Hoult could only palm the ball downwards where it fell to Socceroo Tony Popovic, but the Australian international wasted the chance and opted for power rather than direction. His effort sailed high over the bar from 15 yards out.

Albion were forced to soak up some early Palace pressure, but with 15 minutes gone Thomas Gaardsoe found space at the back post after a Sakiri corner. The Dane could only get a slight touch on the ball, which was not enough to steer it into the goal, and the ball went out for a goal kick.

The home side had justifiable claims for a penalty turned down when Butterfield nudged the ball away from Hughes with his arm, but referee Mr. P. Robinson waved play on and denied the Baggies their claim.

Butterfield was again under pressure moments later when Sakiri, who had been the home sides best player so far, got around him and made a run down the left. The quiet Macedonian crossed the ball but it rebounded back to him from Hulse’s back and the midfielder wasted his chance from six yards when he got under the ball and sent it over the bar.

Palace were playing some attractive football and were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Baggies box in the 25th minute. Julian Gray found himself unmarked and he sent Michael Hughes’s free kick across the face of goal, but former Blues striker Andy Johnson could not stretch enough and missed the chance to poke the ball across the line.

Albion were then awarded a free kick and loaner keeper Nico Vaesen, had to pull off a wonderful one handed save when Sakiri’s 20 yard kick looked set to fly into the top left hand corner. The Macedonian was really enjoying his afternoon and came close again minutes later after James Chambers had beaten Danny Granville to send over a wonderfully weighted cross. Sakiri headed downwards and was just the wrong side of the post with his effort.

As the half closed Kinsella, Hughes and Andy Johnson all had reasonable efforts on goal from the edge of the box, but none of them tested Vaesen who dealt with them all with ease. Palace had the final say of the half when Neil Shipperley played a crossfield ball to Johnson. The 25 goal striker was stopped by a timely challenge from former Watford defender Paul Robinson for the home side.
The second half started brightly for the home side when Hughes forced Vaesen into pulling off another wonderful save after his curling effort looked to be heading for the top right hand corner of the goal.

Manager Gary Megson was left in no doubt about the feelings of the home crowd when he replaced Sakiri with Jason Koumas shortly before the 60-minute mark of the game. The manager later expressed his anger in local press at the boos that were heard from all sections of the ground at this decision. Delroy Facey then replaced Hulse

The chances for both sides were limited throughout the half, and the best of these fell to Palace when Johnson managed to head straight at Hoult after a deflected cross found its way into the box. Butterfield then hit a long range effort from a free kick but again the ball was always rising and never looked likely to dip in time as it sailed high over the bar.

The atmosphere throughout the game had been subdued by normal standards at The Hawthorns and Palace fans were enjoying a free reign with their taunts aimed at how quiet the home support had become. The Palace faithful regaled the stadium with numerous rousing renditions of their signature tune ‘Glad All Over’ and the now familiar ‘Premier League, Yer Having A Laugh’

Megson decided to send on the mercurial Lloyd Dyer as the game looked set to end up as a dismal 0 – 0 draw with just 15 minutes left on the clock and soon after the home side were awarded a corner. Koumas crossed from the Brummie Road / Halfords Lane corner and big defender Darren Moore rose 12 yards out to head into Vaesen’s net. The home crowd finally woke from their lethargy and began to finally make a noise. The atmosphere certainly changed and the Baggies fans began to taunt the Palace fans now that the threat of a major slip up had been nullified slightly with Big Dave’s goal.

With four minutes left of normal time the roof almost came off when Dyer swept the ball into the net for his first senior goal. Facey had pulled the ball back from the bye line to Dyer, who struck the ball first time and watched as it crossed the line before setting off on his celebration run towards the Halfords Lane Stand.

The visitors almost pulled a goal back when Shipperley hit the underside of the crossbar, but the ball bounced out and away from the Baggies goal line in the dying seconds of the game.

A rather unconvincing performance from West Brom, and they should feel very lucky to have come out of the game with anything at all. Palaces controlled the tempo of the game for large periods and were unlucky to have let their concentration drop for the goals in the dying minutes.

The baggiesworld.co.uk Man of the Match went to Artim Sakiri

Teams
Baggies Hoult, Gaardsoe, Moore, Gregan, J. Chambers, A. Johnson, Kinsella, Sakiri, Robinson,
L. Hughes, Hulse
Subs Murphy, Dyer, Facey, Koumas, Clement

Palace Vaesen, Butterfield, Hudson, Popovic, Granville, Routledge, Leigertwood, M. Hughes, Gray, A. Johnson, Shipperley
Subs Berthelin, Derry, Riihilathti, Borrowdale