Saturday
27th February 2016,
Barclays Premier League, The Hawthorns, Kick-Off 5:30pm |
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West Bromwich Albion |
3 - 2 |
Crystal Palace |
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3 - 0 |
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Gardner (12) |
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Wickham (48 & 80) |
Dawson (20) |
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Berahino (31) |
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Managers |
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Tony Pulis |
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Alan Pardew |
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Starting XI |
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Ben Foster |
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Wayne Hennessey |
Craig Dawson |
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Martin Kelly |
Gareth McAuley |
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Scott Dann |
Jonas Olsson |
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Damien Delaney (c) |
(Chester 44) Chris Brunt |
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Joel Ward |
(c) Darren Fletcher |
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Wilfried Zaha |
Claudio Yacob |
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Yohan Cabaye
(Gayle 80) |
Craig Gardner |
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Joe Ledley (Jedinak
81) |
(McClean 75) Stéphane Sessègnon |
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Jordon Mutch |
(Sandro 87) Salomón Rondón |
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Emmanuel Adebayor
(Bolasie HT) |
Saido Berahino |
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Connor Wickham |
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Substitutes |
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James Chester |
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Julián Speroni (gk) |
Victor Anichebe |
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Adrian Mariappa |
(gk) Boaz Myhill |
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Yannick Bolasie |
James McClean |
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Lee Chung-yong |
Rickie Lambert |
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Mile Jedinak |
Alex Pritchard |
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Dwight Gayle |
Sandro |
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Marouane Chamakh |
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Bookings |
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(foul 17) Dawson |
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Adebayor (foul 25) |
(foul 78) Chester |
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Cabaye (foul 64) |
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Attendance:
24,806 |
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Referee:
Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire) |
Assistant 01:
Gary Beswick (County Durham) |
Assistant 02:
Matthew Wilkes (West Midlands) |
Fourth Official:
Lee Mason (Lancashire) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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Price:
£3.50
Pages: 84 Issue: 17 |
● Albion hit three
goals in a game for the first time since beating Chelsea 3-0 at The
Hawthorns last May. |
MATCH REPORT
Saido Berahino took another step
towards redemption by playing a starring role in West Brom's 3-2 victory over
Crystal Palace. A day after publicly apologising for his threat to go on strike
as he tried to force a move away from the club, the 22-year-old capped a fine
individual and team performance in the first half with a stunning goal. Berahino
finished off a flowing move to make it 3-0 after only 31 minutes, following on
from goals by Craig Gardner and Craig Dawson. But Albion ended the match hanging
on after a brace from Connor Wickham, the second a stunning volley in the 80th
minute. The three points were marred by the loss of Chris Brunt, who was carried
off just before half-time after landing awkwardly in an innocuous-looking tussle
with Wilfried Zaha. The home fans had shown their appreciation for the
31-year-old before and during the game a week after he was hit in the face by a
coin thrown by a Baggies fan, and it was a sad way for his evening to finish.
For 12 minutes the game looked
every inch a clash between two out-of-form teams until West Brom put together a
move of real quality to take the lead. Berahino played a perfect through-ball to
Salomon Rondon, who drove into the box and shot across goal. Wayne Hennessey did
well to stick out a foot but could only divert it to Gardner for a simple
finish. If the first was all about attacking quality, the second was a defensive
disaster for Palace. Stephane Sessegnon won a free-kick after being wrestled by
Jordon Mutch just outside the box and
Gardner's
free-kick found Dawson all alone 10 yards out to power a header into the corner.
If Albion fans were not pinching themselves already, they certainly
would have been when their team crafted a sublime third in the 31st minute.
Dawson began the attack
with a fine drilled ball forward to Rondon, who cushioned it expertly and played
in Sessegnon down the right. He then swung over a perfect deep cross for
Berahino, who volleyed it sweetly with his instep past Hennessey. There was a
huge smile on the England man's face as he celebrated in front of the Albion
fans, who certainly appeared in the mood to forgive.
Albion nearly had
a fourth before the break as Gardner's free-kick from 30 yards out clipped the
foot of Joel Ward and bounced off the post. It was the first time Albion had
scored three times in a game all season, and the first time they had managed
three in the first half since a clash with Tottenham in April 2014.
If Palace could cling to any
crumb of comfort, it was that Spurs fought back to draw that match, and within
three minutes of the start of the second half, the visitors were back in it. The
goal was all of Albion's making, with Jonas Olsson inexplicably waiting for Ben
Foster instead of clearing an aimless header forward. Wickham nipped in and
lobbed the goalkeeper before slotting into an empty net. Palace boss Alan Pardew
had sent on Yannick Bolasie for the ineffectual Emmanuel Adebayor, whose only
contribution had been to rake his studs down
Dawson's calf, which might have earned him red rather than yellow.
Berahino almost put the game to bed with a shot that hit the angle of post and
bar, but West Brom
largely appeared comfortable, although Darren Fletcher was fortunate not to
concede a penalty for bringing down Bolasie. Then, with 10 minutes to go,
Wickham seized on a loose ball after a free-kick was not properly cleared and
drilled it into the top corner. Substitute Mile Jedinak was then denied an
equaliser by Gardner's
header off the line as Palace's winless start to 2016 in the Premier League
continued.
Sporting Life
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