Express & Star

West Brom's Chris Brunt: Big half-time lead over Preston was 'a bit unexpected!'

Albion interim boss Chris Brunt admitted a 3-0 half-time lead over Preston took the Baggies by surprise.

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Two goals from Josh Maja and one from Callum Styles had the Baggies three and easy at the interval against mid-table Preston.

The Lancashire visitors rallied after the break, with Albion well below the levels they set, but it was only enough to pull back a single goal on a comfortable start to 2025 for the managerless hosts.

Brunt, for whom it was a first home game and first victory of the caretaker period, said:  "First and foremost it was brilliant to get the three points. It was a game of two halves, I think that's pretty obvious!

"I think the way we started the game and took our chances was good, some good attacking play, to be 3-0 up at half-time was a bit unexpected. I know Paul Heckingbottom quite well, I used to play with him at Sheffield Wednesday, I'd imagine he was rattling a few cages at half-time and we knew they'd come out scrapping.

"They changed their shape which we probably took a bit of time to adapt to and when we made a couple of changes they scored a goal and had momentum.

"Once the lads got to grips with it and the subs that came on did well we saw the game out."

Brunt feels the busy festive scheduling - this was a fourth game in 11 days with a fifth to come in Swansea on Saturday lunchtime - was part of the reason to a less intense second period.

The Baggies withdrew Tom Fellows at the interval after noticing the winger look a bit leggy and the caretaker boss admitted more players would have been handed breathers but for Preston coming on strong after changes of their own.

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Chris Brunt on the touchline at The Hawthorns. (Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)

The Northern Irishman admitted some calls were made with the trip to south Wales in mind, with the likes of 33-year-old Kyle Bartley among several to have started every game of this period.

"I think the intensity was guaranteed to drop in that game based on the schedule of games," Brunt added.

"In the back of your head we're trying to consider Saturday as well, there's a couple of bodies out there left out longer than ideally we'd have done.

"The next goal is always important when you go in at half-time so far ahead. If it had been us that got it we might have been able to make a few more decisions to benefit Saturday but Preston came out well.

"As a player I've been there, it's not nice, if you've got such a lead it's hard to keep that intensity going and foot on the gas. You just have to make good decisions."

Brunt replied when asked about a first win of his three-match tenure: "I'm way too inexperience for that! (putting name in for the job) but it was nice to be out there, I've played so many games here and had a lot of good times, it was nice to stand on the touchline and win the game.

"I don't think it's time for me to do that but I'll be here until I'm told otherwise."