Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Albion are promoted after win
Saturday 10th April 2010, 6:00PM BST.
Albion’s promotion party is in full swing after they sealed a return to the Premier League in a thriller at Doncaster.
Graham Dorrans’s 17th goal of the season and Chris Brunt’s 13th made victory almost a formality before half-time at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Brunt’s goal made it 100 in all competitions this season and, although Jay Emmanuel-Thomas reduced the arrears two minutes after the break, Roman Bednar restored Albion’s two-goal cushion 17 minutes from time.
James Hayter’s 86th minute header made it 3-2 and there were a few nervous moments in the four minutes of time added on, including a handball shout against Gabriel Tamas.
But Albion held out and next Saturday’s home game against Middlesbrough should be a real carnival at the Hawthorns, after clinching the Baggies’ return to the big time at the first attempt.
A place alongside rivals Wolves, Villa and Birmingham for the first time together in the top-flight is now set for the first time since 1984.
In truth the Baggies rarely looked like surrendering the three points once they got their noses in front and will join Newcastle in the Premier League, after third-placed Nottingham Forest’s home win against Ipswich was rendered irrelevant.
Albion, who extended their unbeaten run to nine games, didn’t always scale the heights, but it was a solid performance throughout from Roberto Di Matteo’s men.
The Baggies made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Watford on Easter Monday.
Steven Reid returned from a hamstring injury at right back in place of Gianni Zuiverloon, who was out with a thigh problem.
Simon Cox was named as one of three central midfielders replacing Giles Barnes, which meant Robert Koren switched to wide right.
Barnes dropped to the bench, after making his first start at Vicarage Road.
Doncaster, who named former Albion players James Chambers and Shelton Martis in their starting line-up, started better and had the first chance when John Oster fired wide on the angle.
Rovers almost forced the breakthrough in the seventh minute when James Hayter burst through the middle, teasing the Albion defence before forcing goalkeeper Scott Carson to tip over.
Gabriel Tamas then blocked a shot from Chambers, after the Wolverhampton-born right back cut inside and let fly.
Albion didn’t threaten until the 18th minute when Graham Dorrans failed to divert a rebound goalwards after Roman Bednar challenged James O’Connor from a fine overlap and cross by Marek Cech.
Cech was the provider again a minute later, this time teeing up Simon Cox, who missed his kick.
Seconds later Rovers almost made them pay when Jordan Mutch burst clear only for Youssouf Mulumbu to make a vital challenge, as the on-loan Birmingham midfielder shaped to shoot.
Rovers continued to boss the game but they were undone by Dorrans’s superb strike on the half-hour, after Chambers fouled Roman Bednar to the left hand side of the box 22 yards out.
The Baggies came into the game more after the goal and Simon Cox was just wide sliding in on a Robert Koren centre.
Chris Brunt then curled a free kick inches over before having an effort disallowed for offside.
But after Martis’s point-blank header was denied by Scott Carson’s reflex save, Brunt was not to be denied a third time after goalkeeper Neil Sullivan had smothered his first effort.
Doncaster pulled one back two minutes after the break, when Emmanuel-Thomas drilled into the bottom corner after taking on Cech to make the second-half a more nervy affair than Albion might have expected.
But Albion always looked a threat going forwards and Bednar saw a fierce, angled drive palmed away by Sullivan before Reid saw a header cleared off the line by on-loan Birmingham player Jordon Mutch.
Then came Bednar’s goal on 73 minutes, a poacher’s volley stabbed home Brunt’s first-time cross at the far post after Dorrans’s chip saw an interchange of passes between Koren and Brunt.
But Albion’s party was almost spoiled by Hayter’s header but the Baggies hung on to clinch the win – and promotion again.
Sponsored Links
UK Sport
Latest Blog — Microsoft Comes to the University of Wolverhampton
Last week Microsoft visited the University of Wolverhampton to give students the chance to develop their own phone apps that could be published on the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Technology blog
Business Awards
Read the full story here
Full coverage of awards celebrating the region's best businesses.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
sincere and genuine congratulations guys, lets hope we can finish the job and get the best derby in the land back in the premier league , where it belongs…. i’m sure you’ll all agree with that! superb season, once again congrats!
Report abuse
thanks nige…wwfc,your one of the nicer dingles,but well done to to the boys,its times like these make me proud to be a baggie, and hopefully stay in the prem a bit longer this time, we certainly have the players and manager to do it this time!!!! it will be nice to have all the w-mids teams altogether in the prem, i can remember a few seasons ago, the only midlands team was the vile and their closest rival was man utd!!!! looking forward tto the 2010-11 season now!!!!! boing boing
Report abuse
fantastic,bitter billy who are you ,ooh r u
Report abuse
Well done Albion from a Wolves STH, good to see the midlands top 4teams in the top flight lets just hope we can stay up fingers crossed.
Report abuse
boing boing going up boing boing going up!
Report abuse
boing boing going up! boing boing going up!
Report abuse
I’ll 2nd that. Well done the baggies, looking forward to playing you next season …. I hope !!!
Report abuse
Well done Sandwell Town. Sincerely, congratulations on your return to the Premiership and hope we can renew our local derby together with those with the Villa and Brum.
Report abuse
…already getting annoyed at the diabolical decisions that are going to go against us next season ;-)
Theres gonna be some tough opponents next season…Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool, Rob Styles..etc..
Report abuse
Congratualations to Roberto & all his management team & players on promotion back to the Premiership. Again the Former Players Association are proud of the 2010 promotion squad. Well done to everyone.
Report abuse
Congratulations to Roberto, his Management Team & The Players on winning promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. The Former Players Association welcomes this success and is proud of the squad of 2010. Well done the boys.
Report abuse
well done sandwell town, look forward to playing you next season… hopefully
Report abuse
Congratulations!!! Lets hope we stay up and then next season will be fun.. Wolves, Villa, Blues and A****n all in the premiership! Fantastic!
Report abuse
Congratulations to all at the Baggies,Looking good for West Midlands football once again.
Report abuse
Dont fall for it, no such thing as a sincere dingle, Come on albion , boing boing
Report abuse
Well done to the baggies ,
if football had any really decent west brom fans they would be cheerin on the wolves for the best derby in football back in the big time lets hope wolves stay up aye an it will certainly be a very tough league next year
Well done
Report abuse
Congtaulations to all Baggie girls and boys everywhere, a job well done. Sincerely hope we play you next season!
Report abuse
Roberto ‘Cool-As-A-Cucumber’ di Matteo, did it in one! Congratulations to everyone at the club. Two things now: 1: no relaxing our grip, just relaxed football for the last 4 games. 2: we urge on the Wolfies to stay put so we can ‘ommer ‘em. Then they have to agree to ‘ommer Stoke. (I shall not go into more detail on that one). Bloody Delilah! Grrrr!
Watched the Villa. Nailed on penalty not given. Even old ‘Sideways’ himself honestly said it was. Then there’s Deco, the baby-faced assassin who’s going to cripple someone soon. Terry’s tackle on Milner was a red card job and would have been a sending off the other way round. No wonder Mar’in was angry.
Report abuse
Congratulations ALBION.
(This MIGHT be sanctioned by the moderators!.)
Report abuse
(post 8)
Hank wwfc,
Thanks, It’s quite possible we could be playing
Low Hill City next season. ALBION (Steelworkers) V
Wolves (Cow-pats).
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
Report abuse
Well done lads. you have your just desserts from a hard season. I look forward to 18 points from Wolves, Blues and Villa next season.
Report abuse
“WELL DONE, ALBION!” (SEATTLE BAGGY, ARE YOU READING THIS? IF SO, SHOULD YOUR GOLD AND BLACK COUNTERPARTS STAY UP TO GREET YOUR ARRIVAL, I WILL BUY YOU A PINT AT KELLS, IN POST ALLEY!)
I have rubbed shoulders with you lot, and admit that there have been more that a few times too many when you all had the better of us! Still, that can’t stop me from a surrendering a hearty congratulations to your well earned promotion. I look forward to England’s best derby, the rivalry that ranks above all others, being reignited after a couple years off the rails! Oh, of course for this to happen, there’s the little issue of your pals up the road finding a way to stay put in the top flight! believeing we will, so root on the Wolves so we can have a few good Black Country tussles! Okay, maybe i asked for too much. UTW!
Report abuse
Not sure if my more lengthy post of congratulations has posted, but to you, Seattle Baggy, and to all the rest of you Albion nutters, “congratulations!” Nice job bouncing baqk up to the top flight on the first time of asking. Let’s hope your Gold and Black rivals up the road can steer themselves to Premiership safety so we can renew hostilities with each other! (If we do, Seattle Baggy, I will buy you a nice frothy bitter at Kell’s, in Seattle’s Post Alley, so watch this space!)
Report abuse
Congratualtions to the “Manager and the whole of the team and all the backroom staff” Great Acheviement “Well done the Baggies” back were we belong lets hope we can stay there this time. We need to spend wisely and bring in known players that can give us to experience and quality we deserve to strengh the side.
Bring on our Midland partners (including the dingles we hope)because we certainly intend to match them this time as we will be no push over.
“boing”"boing”"boing”well done the lads.
Mike & Ray.
Report abuse
Mine eyes have seen Roberto put the cherry on the cake,
We have now left Forest felled in our wake,
What lies ahead for us is for us to take,
As the Baggies go marching on!
Boing, boing
Report abuse
yeah were back in the promise land,we need to get JP to promise to invest in the defence for starters, olsson was sleeping again.but congrats to the lads anyway,and lets ditch the yo yo tag, boing boing
Report abuse
ANYONE SEEN THE NOTTINGHAM FOREST IDIOT SINCE YESTERDAYS PROMOTION ?
I DIDNT THINK SO :D
Report abuse
So proud of the team, the squad, the management and the whole club – 4 promotions in 9 years with three diferent managers and a host of different players says everything about the club.
To have all 4 top midland clubs in the top flight will be amazing and not been seen since 1984.
Hope and pride mixed with expectation and trepidation – I LOVE being a baggies fan !!!
Report abuse
WOW they did it wasnt easy Donny a useful side
missing a few main men. Once again our defenders went missing but we have a goal hungry bunch of lads 85 thirty more than Donny. We went up last time scoring for fun but once there like Wolves couldnt replicate.
Blues have suprised everyone mainly Dads army is that the template ?? I think we should go for two big holding players who will track back our midfield too lightweight also ok for championship but amongst the big boys unsure.
However we dont have to greatly improve on our
last visit to PL I recall we outplayed Everton
but lost maybe too gung ho.
Report abuse
Well done and savour the moment. Now prepare for the most corrupt league in the world with the most biased refs!
Report abuse
No 22. Seattle Wolf
KELLS, IN POST ALLEY!
I’ll be wearing my Baggies shirt, you will not be able to miss me !!
name the date, I might even bring along a Seattle Potter
Boing Boing to the Premier League
Report abuse
Fantastic feeling.
Looking forward to the last games of this season but can’t wait for next season.
Let’s stuff the condescending words of Alan Hansen and his cronies back down their throats. That goes for all our teams not just us. Let’s make Midlands football something to be proud of again with our four teams putting roots down in the PL.
Let’s keep the rivalry and p**s taking that goes on between us but hope the morons that all our clubs have can keep from resorting to violence and dragging their club’s name through the mud. I suppose I might as well hope for world peace while I’m at it.
Report abuse
Any chance of buying a striker, midfielder, and decent central midfielder, i know its a buisness but for gods sake dont go the pompey , bradford, charlton etc, just a small gamble, stop takin the money and the pee out of fans mr peace, lose the momentum lose the battle. RDM seems a decent bloke with a decent squad ( a young one at that) so come on albion lets consolidate and do what we know we can, theres potential all over the pitch, Come on u baggies, lose that crappy tag of yo yo
Report abuse
Congrats you old Boggies!
Really looking forward to the long awaited local Black Country derbies in the top league and to taking 6 easy points of you next season!
Report abuse
GONE UP THE DI MATTEO WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE ,,OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YES………..looking forward to the big black country derby in the prem……welldone boys weem back,another big pay day…..lovely jubbly……thankyou rdm in taking us up in your first season at the shrine,,,,pure magic
Report abuse
needs to sort the defence once and for all if not we will come back straight down!
Report abuse
Well done lads! Stopped up until the early hours of the morning watching the report of the game on the internet.Back to the promised land YYYYYEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Aussie Kev
Report abuse
All together BOING~BOING.
Living it up.
Bring it on.
In the black.
Over the moon.
Number one club.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
Report abuse
33 sid.
PLEASE TELL US.
How much is this small gamble?
Last time we went up we spent £23 mill and £24 mill in players wages. Together with the other costs of running the club, that accounted for all our income for the year and then a bit on top. Part of the problem was not JP but Tony Mowbray insisting on a pay structure so that no player was on much higher wages than another. TM later admitted that this was probably a mistake.
If we buy a striker for £10 mill he will expect £40 to £50 grand a week in wages, that’s another £6-9 mill in wages over the 3 year contract he will want and these type of players won’t agree to take a drop in wages if we get relegated, ask Leeds. And that’s just one player.
I’m no accountant or financial expert probably like yourself but I can do the basic maths and see that what a lot of clubs have done doesn’t add up. JP is a businessman and he knows that the place to be to make money is the PL, you don’t see multi millionaires buying CCC clubs do you?
The reason I ask the question is that I’m getting very, very, very tired of people knocking the way the club is run. Do you remember the 90′s? How depressing it was to be an Albion fan? Do you want to end up back there?
So I repeat.
HOW MUCH IS A LITTLE GAMBLE?
WHAT DO YOU GET FOR THE MONEY YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT?
Over to you or anyone else that has the answer.
Report abuse
After watching Hull and Burnley there’s no doubt the Dingles will stay up.
We should do better next year with six points already in the bag before we kick off.
Report abuse
Well done to Albion, we have kept that trophy glistening all season for the Toon!
I am pleased that we have our derby games to look forward to.
JP has already stated that you have very little money to spend and that you will operate with a 22 man squad which leaves space for only 2 signings (assuming Steven Reid doesnt sign) which will leave you short of quality with the huge step up ahead. Gone are the Phillips, Gera, Greening, Robinson, Davies etc of previous seasons, JP will surely need to invest hugely to save you from the drop again. Enjoy this moment next season will be a struggle for the Albion.
Best wishes,
The club to look upto,
WWFC
Report abuse
41, yow aint really pleased am ya,i know i wouldent be if i knew a team that alwiz hammers us was joing our league,yowv scored 1 goal at home in 8 games,gosh we are shaking in our boots,and remember we got englands no1 keeper aye boing boing
Report abuse
Re: message 41
Curtis and a couple of the others were a great miss; the bench looks less cramped with having fewer superegoes to accommodate.
The players who left did well for us, but not unreplaceable. Obtaining fresh investment for the long haul is my concern, not the way Peace currently balances the books. The gap between the lower Prem and upper Championship in terms of finance will continue to grow despite the recession, therefore, addtional resources are needed.
Report abuse
Well done RDM and the lads… promotion with 3 games left despite loads of injuries to contend with, quite an achievement.
Don’t be fooled by the lack of ‘big names’ (Gera etc.), This squad is as good as previous promotion years (look at the points total and goals scored). RDM knows how to get results … we will release a few and sign a little more quality (RDM , time to use your Chelsea contacts!) … looking forward to it more than ever.
Boing Boing.
Report abuse
Albion steelworkers Jack the hat? (post 20)
Yoom living in dreamland, nearly all closed except a few tatty foundries.
You ever work in one, I did. I can tell you at Bilston at least 75% were Wolves fans, and probably half were at Roundtree.
You flippin soft bunch of imitation brummies, smethwick/handsworth – real BC !! ha ha.
Oh well done by the way.
Report abuse
WWFC1887
Jeremy Peace has already stated that he is
going to increase the wage structure at Albion
meaning Wolves will be left in our wake.
YES!the baggies have lost some good players
over the last few seasons but we`ve also
signed a few to ie BRUNT,VALERO,DORRANS,
MULUMBU,MORRISON,JARA,CECH,COX,BARNES,THOMAS,
etc.
If Wolves can survive with the likes of
ZUBAR,CRADDOCK,BERRA,WARD,JARVIS,HENRY,JONES,
MILIJAS,DOYLE,then Iam sure Albion can who
have better players than that.
The Premiership next season will be 100 times
tougher as I can see MAN UTD,ARSENAL,CHELSEA,
LIVERPOOL,MAN CITY,VILLA,SPURS,etc spending
big in the summer,Wolves,Villa,and Blues
are just a team full of cloggers but I suppose
if you like that style of football then fair
enough.Wolves and Blues will struggle next
season while Albion will be up there playing
Chelsea off the park.
Report abuse
42 Sir terry baggie
We may have poor scoring form at home but aslong as we stay up I don’t care. You would obviously prefer to score 4 at home but concede 5 which is the reason you finish bottom in the prem. Albion need big signings to have a chance of staying up and need to change their style of play as Wolves did because you can’t be over attacking in the prem because you get punished
Report abuse
46 Dorranslovesbrom
It’s one thing increasing your wage structure, but you also have to attract big names which is hard for a newly promoted team and I can’t see Albion paying over 5 mil for a player if they are interested in joining
Report abuse
41 WWFC1877.
Shouldn’t that be 1983. Wasn’t that the year your club was reinvented due to Portsmouth-like financial difficulties. Your mail reads like someone that posts on here pretending to be a Baggie, are you Laughing Wolf in disguise?
47 and 48.
Thanks for your condescending advice on life in the PL. I think you will find we’ve a lot more experience of it than you. Well done on staying up but if we’re being brutally honest then it is a freakishly poor PL this year. Anyway all the posturing will get us nowhere, let’s wait and see on the pitch next year.
PS 33 sid.
I’M STILL WAITING.
Report abuse
It makes me laugh when Wolves fans come on here spouting off about how hard its going to
be for us in the Premiership,`its like Wolves
have been in the top flight since it bagan and
Albion have never been there before.
Everyone knows we will have to spend in the summer even though Albion have a starting 11
of full International players.
CARSON-England International
JARA-Chile International
TAMAS-Romania International
MEITE-Ivory Coast International
CECH-Slovakia International
MORRISON-Scotland International
MULUMBU-Congo International
KOREN-Slovenia International
DORRANS-Scotland International
BRUNT-Northern Ireland International
BEDNAR-Czech Republic International.
Report abuse