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DATE: Saturday
21st January 2006 MATCH PREVIEW BY: Mark Thomas Albion welcome Mick McCarthy's struggling Sunderland side to The Hawthorns knowing that a only a win will be seen as a satisfactory result. To do it Bryan Robson's men will have to record their first back to back Premiership victories since beating Charlton and Everton last spring. Following last week's victory at Wigan the Baggies have a number of sides above them in their sights and with two of the teams currently in the relegation zone playing each other - Portsmouth and Birmingham it also gives the club the perfect opportunity to put a bit more distance between themselves and the bottom three. Albion will be favourites for the game but the North East side will not be a pushover as they proved last week against Chelsea. Despite a 2-1 victory for the Champions, Sunderland more than held their own for large portions of the game. Sunderland have only managed one Premiership victory this season - against Middlesbrough, although they did take a point off the Baggies at the Stadium of Light back in September, only a last gasp Zoltan Gera goal denying the Black Cats three points. Mick McCarthy's squad is in all reality full of Championship class players although in the likes of Anthony Le Tallec, Dean Whitehead, Julio Arca and Liam Lawrence they do have a number of players that look comfortable at the highest level. Bryan Robson will be sweating on the fitness of a number of players going into the clash. Paul Robinson, Steve Watson, Kevin Campbell and Geoff Horsfield all face late fitness tests. With Diomansy Kamara and Kanu both unavailable due to African Nations Cup action and Rob Earnshaw and Nathan Ellington looking totally inept of late it is vital either Campbell or Horsfield take their place in the squad. With only the eager, but inexperienced duo of Rob Elvins and Stuart Nicholson as back-up, Bryan Robson's striking options are severely limited. Whilst the game is sure to be very nervy, it is vital all Baggies' fans get behind the team and give them their full support. If we show the guts and determination we did last week at Wigan then three points is a strong possibility. Anything less and yet more questions will start to be asked of the club and Bryan Robson. I'm going for a 2-1 home win. COME ON YOU BAGGIES!!!
ALBION
Baggies boss Bryan Robson is boosted by the return of
Neil Clement and Darren Moore to the squad but could be without a number
of key players. Diomansy Kamara and Kanu (both international duty) and
Zoltan Gera and Thomas Gaardsoe (both groin) are all out whilst Paul
Robinson (knee), Kevin Campbell (calf), Geoff Horsfield (hamstring) and
Steve Watson (hamstring) are all doubtful. SUNDERLAND
Mick McCarthy looks set to name the same side that lost
to Champions Chelsea last week with George McCartney, Stephen Elliott,
Stephen Wright and Kevin Kyle all still missing. The Black Cats will also
be without defender Alan Stubbs who has now rejoined Everton.
THIS SEASON Sunderland currently lie bottom of the Premiership with six points from 21 games. The Black Cats have reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, beating non-league Northwich Victoria 3-0 at the Stadium of Light, but were beaten by Arsenal in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup. Mick McCarthy's men have lost 12 of their last 13 games. Dean Whitehead and Anthony Le Tallec are the club's joint top goalscorers with four league and cup goals each. LAST SEASON Sunderland were promoted to the Barclays Premiership after finishing as Champions of the Coca-Cola Championship. They were knocked out of the FA Cup in the 4th round by Everton and were beaten in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup by Crewe Alexandra. Marcus Stewart was Sunderland's top goalscorer with 17 league and cup goals. ONES TO WATCH Anthony Le Tallec - Currently on loan from Liverpool. Very skilful playmaker, more than capable of getting himself on the scoresheet. Dean Whitehead - Former Oxford midfielder who has comfortably made the step up into the Premiership. A tough tackling and hardworking player with an eye for goal. Julio Arca - Fast and very skilful left-sided player. Always a threat going forward. THE MANAGER After five and a half years in charge of the Republic of Ireland, Mick McCarthy returned to club management in March 2003 when he was named as Sunderland’s new boss replacing Howard Wilkinson. Born in Barnsley of Irish parents he started his professional career at his hometown club as an 18-year-old in 1977. He spent six years at Oakwell before moving on to Manchester City for £200,000. In 1984 he won the first of his 36 Irish caps. In 1987 and after four years at City Mick moved to Scottish giants Celtic where he would spend just two years before moving on to French club Lyon. In March 1990 Mick returned to England joining Millwall for whom he would become player/manager one year later. He spent four years in charge at Millwall before becoming Eire boss in early 1996.
Albion's first ever meeting with the Wearsiders came in a friendly game in May 1890 at Sunderland's Newcastle Road ground, Albion running out 5-3 winners. Albion first met Sunderland in league action during the 1890/91 season. The first game between the sides at Stoney Lane in September ended in a 4-0 defeat for Albion however Sunderland would later have the points won deducted due to fielding an ineligible player. The return game a few weeks later at Sunderland ended 1-1, George Woodhall scoring the Albion goal. Albion's biggest league win against Sunderland is 6-4, coming at The Hawthorns in February 1937. Three years previously on the same ground Albion had recorded a 6-5 victory. Albion's biggest victory in Sunderland came on New Years Day 1966 when Albion ran out 5-1 winners at Roker Park, Tony Brown grabbing two of the Albion goals. Albion's heaviest league defeat against Sunderland came in October 1892 when the club lost 8-1 at Newcastle Road. Other heavy defeats have included 7-1 in 1896 and 6-1 in 1935, 1937 and 1977. Albion are unbeaten in the last six league and cup meetings of the two sides but have failed to win any of the last six league and cup meetings at The Hawthorns. The club's last home victory coming in February 1994 when goals from Kevin Donovan and Graham Fenton helped Keith Burkinshaw's men to a 2-1 victory. LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS
Albion
0-0 Sunderland
Albion: Hoult, Gilchrist, Gaardsoe, Gregan, Robinson, Koumas,
Johnson, O'Connor (Sakiri HT), Haas, Hulse (Clement 72), Hughes (Dobie HT). Subs not used: Murphy, Volmer
Sunderland: Poom, Arca, McCartney, Breen, Williams, Downing (Thirlwell 90), Healy, Whitley, Oster, Stewart (T Smith 86), Kyle. Subs not used: Wright, Ingham, Bjorklund Referee: Clive Penton (Sussex) Assistant Referees: Michael Murphy (West Midlands), Malcolm West (Cornwall) Fourth Official: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire) Half-Time: Albion 0-0 Sunderland Attendance: 26,135 Sporting Life Match Report: West Brom's stuttering home form continued as they were forced to hang on for a goalless draw at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Sunderland. Albion hit the headlines in midweek with their shock Carling Cup win at Newcastle but they showed little sign of that form as they failed to score at The Hawthorns for the second successive match. They were indebted to several impressive saves by goalkeeper Russell Hoult to keep Sunderland at bay while Black Cats debutant Stewart Downing hit the woodwork, meaning Mick McCarthy's men have scored just once in the last five games. Sunderland made a bright start and forced three early corners which came to nothing, while at the other end Paul Robinson had a sight of goal but saw his 25-yard shot blocked by Gary Breen. Black Cats striker Kevin Kyle was next to threaten as he looked to end a four-match goal drought - but his well-struck shot was held by Hoult. Jason Koumas also had a shot saved by Sunderland keeper Mart Poom while Kyle headed wide from a Darren Williams corner as the action swung from end to end. Albion midfielder Andy Johnson received the first booking of the afternoon for a foul on Julio Arca in the 23rd minute, and Sunderland almost broke the deadlock two minutes later when Hoult needed two attempts to hold on-loan Middlesbrough winger Downing's shot from the edge of the area. Poom was called into action again when he brilliantly tipped a Lee Hughes effort over the crossbar and the striker's frustration boiled over when he was booked, also for a foul on Arca. Sunderland were looking slightly the better side though and went close when Hoult kept out Marcus Stewart's header from Downing's cross, before Albion had Robinson booked for dissent. West Brom boss Gary Megson made a double substitution at half-time, with Hughes and O'Connor coming off to be replaced by Scott Dobie and Artim Sakiri. But the home side needed a goal-line clearance by former Sunderland defender Bernt Haas to deny Stewart the opening goal while Hoult produced a flying save to keep out Kyle's header from an Arca cross. It seemed only a matter of time before Sunderland broke the deadlock, with Kyle twice testing Hoult and Arca firing over from the edge of the area. Their best chance of the game came in the 76th minute when Hoult was finally beaten by Downing's 20-yard drive only for the ball to rattle the woodwork. Sunderland were almost made to pay for their missed chances when Albion's second-half substitute Neil Clement flashed a shot just wide in the closing stages. CURRENT CONNECTIONS Darren Carter spent three months on loan at Sunderland last season before moving to Albion from Birmingham City during the summer; Goalkeeper Joe Murphy moved to Sunderland from Albion in August after having spent three years at The Hawthorns. PAST CONNECTIONS Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Sam Allardyce, Mark Angel, Brett Angell, Peter Barnes, Shaun Cunnington, Danny Dichio, Andy Dibble, Tony Ford, Carsten Fredgaard, Don Goodman, Bernt Haas, Danny Hegan, Jim Holton, Kevin Kilbane, Andy Marriott, Sandy McNab, Jimmy Nicholl, Barry Siddall, Colin Suggett, Stanislav Varga and Colin West. Denis Smith managed both Albion and Sunderland; Malcom Crosby was Smith's assistant at both clubs and also had a spell as the Black Cats boss; Former Albion assistant manager Frank Burrows had a spell coaching at Sunderland. ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS SUNDERLAND
LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST SUNDERLAND
Tickets for this category C
game are now on general
sale. A Kids for a quid scheme in all stands is in operation for this game.
As of Friday evening just 50 single seats remained. |
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