Express & Star

Video: Pulis and Evans on Albion's win

Published
Last updated

Boss Tony Pulis revealed West Brom players were jumping on top of Boaz Myhill and the back four in the dressing room after today's game at Norwich City.

more

It was in celebration of the side's sixth clean sheet of the season, but for a head coach who's come under scrutiny for his defensive-minded performances, the more important thing was the change in emphasis at the other end of the pitch.

He said: "The lads are jumping about on the goalkeeper and the back four, but I was more pleased with our quality going forward today."

Salomon Rondon's back-post header straight after half-time gave Albion back-to-back victories in the Premier League for the first time this season.

But this was a much better performance and a much more exciting game than last weekend's 1-0 win over Sunderland ground out at the Hawthorns.

[youtube][/youtube]

McClean, who was handed a written warning from the FA after celebrating in front of the Sunderland fans last weekend, put that all behind him.

Looking dangerous throughout, it was his cross that Rondon met in the 46th minute to hand Albion their fourth 1-0 win of the campaign.

Pulis said: "I've always been a manager who's liked to play wide players. And Sessegnon and McClean - McClean was outstanding today.

"His energy levels and quality on the ball was first-class. He's got better and better as we go along. I was really pleased for him."

Albion grew into the game, after weathering a green and yellow storm in the first 20 minutes.

They had the best chance of the first-half just before the break, when Craig Dawson somehow managed to bounce a header off the ground and up over the bar from four yards out.

Pulis, who praised the Norfolk crowd, said: "First quarter of an hour, I thought Norwich were very good.

"The support they've got and received was absolutely first-class, they were sucking the ball in at one end.

"We defended well. Boaz made a really good save, but as the game went on we got a grip of it. We were really disappointed at half-time not to come in with a goal.

"Dawson's header and Salomon's header as well. So we've had good chances."

The Canaries struggled to test Myhill in the second half, whereas Albion zipped the ball around in midfield and held out for yet another clean sheet.

Pulis beamed: "The quality of our play going forward was very good, at times. I think we deserved to win.

"The players do a lot of work the training ground and work very hard on certain aspects.

"I think most probably we talk about it more because of the record I've got, but we also work very hard on going forward and today we got our rewards."