Analysis: West Brom lose their cool amid the heat of play-off battle

It has not happened often in Carlos Corberan’s 18 months at the helm, but Albion lost their cool on Saturday. Calmness and composure veered into fraught chaos.

If you are struggling to remember the last time Albion found themselves down to 10 men, don’t worry, your memory isn’t failing you, it just doesn’t happen often.

Indeed, this was the first time under the Spaniard, in his 79th match in charge. That’s no coincidence, the head coach values discipline and the need to keep every player on the field so highly. The Baggies’ last red card was Kyle Bartley, at Millwall last season, the game before Corberan’s appointment. It was almost poetic that this dismissal would be so costly.

Albion, somewhat understandably given the lack of other natural strikers available to plug the Thomas-Asante-shaped hole, struggled to respond to the man disadvantage. They couldn’t press, and when the ball was worked forward in the second half there was no focal point. They created next to nothing.

The hosts, in confident spirit and roared on by a reignited Hawthorns din, played some of their best football in some time amid a 10-game unbeaten run in the opening half hour against the mid-table visitors.

The sold-out home crowd were clearly keen to crank up the decibel levels after a sleepy, low-key midweek victory over Rotherham. They also responded to their side’s snappy start to the clash, as well as the searing jeers for Sunderland defender Dan Ballard, the villain of the piece due to his horror challenge that crocked Josh Maja for four months in December.

Albion didn’t take advantage though. Corberan’s side only tested Anthony Patterson from range and, by the time half-time was on the horizon, so was trouble.

Thomas-Asante had been frustrated to that point, with some misplaced passes and heavy touches. It was the latter that ultimately cost him. The top goalscorer had just been cautioned by referee Matt Donohue for a dangerous lunge on Jack Clarke, that fortunately made no contact with the Black Cats trickster.

The former Salford man, on whose shoulders has rested such responsibility this season, did not heed the warning. Instead, a couple of minutes later, the card was red.

This time Thomas-Asante did make contact, on Ballard, of all people. The striker was chasing a rogue first touch, trying to make amends, but in that moment of pent-up frustration he was too eager, too fired-up to steal the ball back.

Ballard, to the delight of some Baggies fans, writhed in agony but Thomas-Asante was already heading for the showers. This was to become the game’s turning point – but if a man down wasn’t bad enough, Ekwah rubbed salt in wounds moments later.

Corberan’s team talk had already changed having lost their striker, but Albion found themselves a goal down, too, on the stroke of half-time, when Sunderland’s French midfielder found the top corner while unmarked from a corner.

There is no excusing Thomas-Asante’s moment of madness. But his absence cannot be blamed for Albion’s appalling, invisible marking from the corner. It was a double-sickener for Corberan & Co.

Thomas-Asante, the 12-goal striker, will be suspended for Saturday’s trip to Leicester, the first of three games remaining of the regular campaign.

He is often an easy target for criticism in sections of the Baggies support. More often that not, like against Rotherham last Wednesday, it is for a wastefulness in front of goal.

His decision-making for the second yellow was careless at best. He will know as much as anyone that he cost his side and let team-mates down on Saturday. But he wasn’t the only one in blue and white stripes to blame and Corberan emphasised that. Several were below par. It was a performance that lacked composure all-round. It is unfair to leave it all at the striker’s door and stick the boot in.

The bigger picture shows a slightly dented gap to seventh but Albion still have their play-off fate in their own hands. Rivals still have it all to do.

A concern is Corberan’s side probably need to win one of their final three games, with trips to Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday ahead. Both have everything to fight for, for different reasons. Failing to win at the King Power puts a lot on Hillsborough. Albion don’t want anything resting on Preston at home on the final day.

Saturday’s reverse means there is work still to be done. Albion can’t let a lack of cool rear its head again.