Verfasst: 13.08.2006, 12:15
Im Moment gehts ja anscheinend noch.altjoggeli hat geschrieben:Überhaupt nicht, ich sehe das Ganze einfach realistisch.
DATE: Saturday12th August 2006, 3.00pm
RESULT: Southampton 0 West Bromwich Albion 0
COMPETITION: Coca-Cola Championship
TEAM NEWS
Nathan Ellington won his fitness race to take part at St Mary's and lined up alongside John Hartson as Bryan Robson named an unchanged side from the team that drew at Cardiff in midweek. Luke Steele replaced Russell Hoult on the bench following his move from Manchester United. Albion boss bryan Robson has named the same starting line up for every game so far this season.
NO GOALS, BUT ANOTHER POINT ON THE BOARD
Three games played, five points collected. Not a bad return for the start of our Coca-Cola Championship campaign yet it could have been so much better. Only a fine save from Southampton's new keeper Kelvin Davis denied John Hartson the opener as early as the second minute when he dived full length to tip the ball away from Hartson's firm header towards the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
The Saints then came back into the match when Gareth Bale picked out Grzegorz Rasiak in the box who headed back across goal only for Bradley Wright-Phillips to fire his impressive overhead kick over the bar.
On 11 minutes, big John Hartson, was next to catch everyone's eye including the ref's, when he challenged Sweden's Alexander Ostlund midway in Albion's half. The challenge, a high kick in the chest deserved the yellow card but this unfortunately impacted on Hartson's game for the rest of the match.
The referee came in for some quality abuse from Saints fans, as Bradley Wright-Phillips was tackled, some may say hacked on the edge of the box by Steve Watson only for the referee to wave away protests.
The next Saints move was on 23 minutes when Djamel Belmadi saw his shot blocked on the edge of the area, but as Wright-Phillips put the deflected ball in the net the linesman lifted his flag for a clear offside ruling.
Albion suffered another setback on 26 minutes when Nathan Ellington for the second game running had to leave the field with a hamstring injury which forced Baggies manager Bryan Robson to make the first of his substitutions.
Midfielder Darren Carter came on to replace the injured Ellington, with Zoltan Gera being pushed up front to support Hartson in a repeat of the substitutions at Cardiff on Tuesday.
Carter's first touch came from a free kick on the edge of the box which narrowly missed the angle of post and bar.
Nigel Quashie, who appeared to enjoy the verbal abuse at his every touch as a former Saint, but found himself cautioned on 33 minutes for a a crude challenge from behind on Djamel Belmadi, who himself was later yellow-carded himself for retaliation.
Following the free kick, Southampton took charge of the remaining minutes of the first half, with two efforts in the space of a minute.
The first one turned aside for a corner by Albion's Swiss international goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler and the second went a foot wide of the Albion post, as Rasiak's backheel set up Wright-Phillips to fire his shot narrowly wide.
In the final minute of the first half Chris Perry made an uncharacteristic error at the back when he missed Gareth Bale's curling cross into the Albion box and allowed the ball to bounce through to Rasiak.
Fortunately for Albion, his overhead kick went straight to Zuberbuhler to keep the scores level at the interval.
Half Time: Southampton 0 West Bromwich Albion 0
More to follow
Full Time: Southampton 0 West Bromwich Albion 0
MATCH INFORMATION
West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2):
Zuberbuhler]www.westbrom.com[/url]
