Saturday
2nd January 2016,
Barclays Premier League, The Hawthorns, Kick-Off 3:00pm |
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West Bromwich Albion |
2 -
1 |
Stoke City |
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0 - 0 |
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Sessègnon (60) |
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Walters (81) |
Evans (90+2) |
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Managers |
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Tony Pulis |
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Mark Hughes |
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Starting XI |
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Boaz Myhill |
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Jack Butland |
Craig Dawson |
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Glen Johnson |
Gareth McAuley |
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Ryan Shawcross (c) |
Jonny Evans |
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Philipp Wollscheid |
Chris Brunt |
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Erik Pieters |
(c) Darren Fletcher |
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Geoff Cameron |
(Berahino 85) Claudio Yacob |
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Glenn Whelan (Walters 68) |
Stéphane Sessègnon |
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Xherdan Shaqiri (Adam 85) |
James Morrison |
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Ibrahim Afellay |
(McManaman 90+1) Craig Gardner |
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Marko Arnautović |
Rickie Lambert |
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Bojan Krkić (Joselu 64) |
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Substitutes |
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James Chester |
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Joselu |
Sébastien Pocognoli |
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Marc Wilson |
Cristian Gamboa |
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Marco van Ginkel |
Saido Berahino |
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Charlie Adam |
Callum McManaman |
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Jonathan Walters |
(gk) Anders Lindegaard |
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Peter Crouch |
Tyler Roberts |
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Jakob Haugaard (gk) |
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Bookings |
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(dissent 90+5) Brunt |
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Arnautović (dissent 75) |
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Sent-Off |
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Cameron (violent conduct 83) |
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Attendance:
23,218 |
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Referee:
Lee Mason (Lancashire) |
Assistant 01:
Lee Betts (Norfolk) |
Assistant 02:
Darren Cann (Norfolk) |
Fourth Official:
Paul Tierney
(Lancashire) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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Price:
£3.50
Pages: 84 Issue: 12 |
●
Albion record their first league double over Stoke since the 1976/77 season. |
●
The Baggies record three successive league wins over Stoke for the first
time since the early 1930s. |
MATCH REPORT
Jonny Evans struck in stoppage
time to clinch a gritty 2-1 win for
West Brom over 10-man Stoke. The defender poked in his first Baggies
goal just as it looked like Jonathan Walters' equaliser had rescued a point for
the visitors. Stephane Sessegnon's first goal in over a year had given
Albion a second-half lead and
Tony Pulis has now won three straight games against his former club. Geoff
Cameron was also sent off with seven minutes left for reacting to a challenge
from Claudio Yacob. Defeat ended Stoke's winning run and Mark Hughes' side
struggled to create clear openings with Boaz Myhill saving from Glen Johnson and
Marko Arnautovic before Walters struck. Albion, who again left Saido Berahino on
the bench, named 16-year-old striker Tyler Roberts as a substitute to underline
their chronic lack of options, with suspended record buy Salomon Rondon watching
from the stands.
Unchanged Stoke were chasing a
third straight win and twice came close during a forgettable first half as
first, Myhill beat away Johnson's 18-yard drive before collecting Arnautovic's
effort from inside the box. Albion struggled to create openings themselves but
Evans did poke wide inside the opening 10 minutes. It was a battle of attrition
with the visitors and while the Baggies had carved the better chance, Stoke
showed they had the ability to unlock the hosts. Bojan and Xherdan Shaqiri were
closely watched but the pair showed flashes of quality which was out of
character in a poor game. But Darren Fletcher wasted the best chance of the half
when he fired wide from 15 yards after Rickie Lambert's dummy three minutes
before the break.
Stoke were the better side but
continued to be driven down dead ends by the organised Baggies. The visitors
also struggled to make serious inroads before the deadlock was finally broken by
Sessegnon on the hour. It was
Albion's first neat move of the game as Fletcher combined with
Yacob to slip Sessegnon through and the midfielder buried high past Jack Butland.
It was just his seventh Baggies goal in two and a half years and first since he
scored in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United in October 2014. Stoke tried to
hit back and Myhill blocked Arnautovic's angled effort but they lacked the
conviction and confidence showed in their 4-3 win at Everton last time out.
James Morrison drove straight at Butland with 12 minutes left but Stoke levelled
out of the blue three minutes later.
Albion had looked comfortable
despite their slender lead but they switched off to allow Walters to meet
Joselu's delightful cross and crash in a header from four yards. But Stoke's
celebrations turned to frustration with seven minutes left when Cameron was sent
off. The midfielder reacted to Yacob's challenge by pushing the midfielder on
the back of the neck and sending him to the ground, leaving referee Lee Mason
with little option but to produce a red card. And Stoke paid the price in the
third minute of injury time when they failed to clear Craig Gardner's corner and
Evans prodded in from close range.
Sporting Life
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