Monday 28th December 2015,
Barclays Premier League, The Hawthorns, Kick-Off 3:00pm |
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West Bromwich Albion |
1 - 0 |
Newcastle United |
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0 - 0 |
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Fletcher (78) |
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Managers |
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Tony Pulis |
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Steve McClaren |
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Starting XI |
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Boaz Myhill |
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Karl Darlow |
Craig Dawson |
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Daryl Janmaat |
Gareth McAuley |
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Chancel Mbemba |
(Gardner 18) Jonas Olsson |
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Fabricio Coloccini (c) |
Jonny Evans |
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Paul Dummett |
(c) Darren Fletcher |
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Jack Colback
(Thauvin 86) |
Claudio Yacob |
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Vurnon Anita
(Tioté 27) |
Chris Brunt |
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Moussa Sissoko |
Stéphane Sessègnon |
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Ayoze Pérez
(de Jong 72) |
(Berahino 70) James Morrison |
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Georginio Wijnaldum |
(Lambert 88) Victor Anichebe |
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Aleksandar Mitrović |
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Substitutes |
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James Chester |
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Siem de Jong |
Craig Gardner |
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Yoan Gouffran |
Cristian Gamboa |
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Jamaal Lascelles |
Rickie Lambert |
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Florian Thauvin |
Saido Berahino |
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Rob Elliot (gk) |
Callum McManaman |
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Cheick Tioté |
(gk) Anders Lindegaard |
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Kevin Mbabu |
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Attendance:
26,313 |
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Referee:
Mike Jones (Cheshire) |
Assistant 01:
Dave Bryan (Lincolnshire) |
Assistant 02:
Jake Collin (Merseyside) |
Fourth Official:
Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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Price:
£3.50
Pages: 84 Issue: 11 |
Karl Darlow's debut disaster
plunged Newcastle into further relegation trouble as West Brom triumphed at The
Hawthorns. The goalkeeper allowed Darren Fletcher's header to squeeze past him
on his Barclays Premier League debut to hand
Albion a 1-0 win. Darlow was only a late replacement for Rob Elliot
after he was taken ill in the build up to the game and dropped to the bench.
Fabricio Coloccini cleared off the line from James Morrison while he and Paul
Dummett hit the woodwork for the Magpies and Victor Anichebe struck the bar for
the Baggies. Defeat left the Magpies in the bottom three and two points from
safety while Albion's first
win in six games moved them six points above the drop zone.
Saido Berahino started on the
bench for the eighth straight game with Anichebe given his first Premier League
start since May. Boss Tony Pulis insisted pre-match Berahino was lucky to be a
substitute and hinted at internal problems. Darlow's tone was set when he had to
be rescued inside two minutes of his top flight bow by Coloccini when the
skipper hacked Morrison's shot off the line. The former Nottingham Forest
custodian then turned Morrison's drive wide before
Albion survived a
scare. Moussa Sissoko had stolen the ball inside Newcastle's half and his
lung-bursting 60-yard run was only halted by a last-gasp challenge from Gareth
McAuley as the midfielder prepared to pull the trigger. Both sides were prepared
to press during an entertaining opening and Aleksandar Mitrovic saw a shot
deflect over while Dummett blocked Fletcher's drive.
Darlow looked nervy,
skewing a punch over his own bar, and
Albion noticeably targeted the keeper at set-pieces.
But they could not force a
first-half opener and almost fell behind 10 minutes after the break. Newcastle
had started well and Dummett's header hit the underside of the bar and
Coloccini's follow up was deflected onto the post. Chris Brunt was then forced
to clear Mitrovic's effort over his own bar - as the striker called for a
penalty - with the Baggies ragged. Newcastle's plight forced them to up the
tempo and sensing the danger Pulis called for Berahino, with the striker
replacing Morrison with 20 minutes left. But it was Anichebe, who had faded
after a bullish first half, who came closest on 74 minutes. Darlow's nerves got
to him again and he shanked his clearance behind for a corner and from the
resulting delivery Anichebe's header bounced onto the bar. But Darlow did not
escape a second time when his error gifted Albion the lead 12 minutes from time.
Claudio Yacob's cross was met by the unmarked Fletcher and Darlow should have
dealt with his downward header but allowed it to squirm past him and over the
line. The keeper made a smart save from Anichebe to prevent Albion doubling
their lead and then turned Berahino's drive wide with four minutes left but his
gaffe proved costly.
Sporting Life
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