Mowbray keeps his feet on the ground

Albion boss Tony Mowbray is convinced his players will keep their feet on the ground after reclaiming top spot in the Championship for the first time in two months.

The Baggies' amazing late effort put them back to the summit of the Championship for at least 24 hours until Watford's clash with Barnsley tonight.

But Mowbray insists the leadership will not breed complacency in his squad.

"No-one at our club is going to get carried away," said Mowbray.

"We've seen too many strange results and I'm sure there will be a few more twists and turns for anyone to get ahead of themselves.

"We've got a huge game on Saturday against a Watford team that could potentially be top of the table by then.

"It's been a strange season for Watford who looked like they were going to run away with it and then went on a series of draws.

"They got back to winning ways at the weekend and they'll be coming knowing what our Achilles heel is and really trying to play to it.

"But hopefully we can impose our own style on the game, take the points. Games then start running out for teams."

Mowbray, meanwhile, hailed the spirit and will-to-win in the Baggies' dressing room.

And he believes it was that attitude that allowed his players to overcome their post-Wembley fatigue last night.

"There's a real determination in the dressing room at the moment," said Mowbray.

"We've got some big characters and they were desperate we didn't fall over on this potential banana skin. With all due respect the pitch out there last night wasn't like Wembley.

"The players toiled away for little reward in the first half and lost a goal to a set-play.

"Then we came up against a very well organised defensive side.

"Once the equaliser went in we got our free-flowing game going and looked a threat every time we attacked.

"We played against a team that were structured well defensively.

"Great credit to Carl Hoefkens for getting in the position to earn a penalty.

"Once that went in they had to come and try and win the game and I felt in the last 15 minutes, because they weren't so defensive, we could almost score at will against them.

"It's important to have an impact off the bench and that was lessened by an early injury to Martin Albrechtsen.

"Still, to have Kevin Phillips to come off the bench in this league is pretty impressive.

"Kevin was on the field when we got the penalty, kept his nerve and stuck it away.

"The game opened up for us from that point."

And the manager paid tribute to his starting front three of Luke Moore, Ishmael Miller and Chris Brunt.

The trio switched positions several times in the first half as they got little change from a stout Blackpool defence.

But Mowbray was delighted with their efforts.

"When you've got players with versatility, who can play in various parts of the pitch, it's important that if they're not getting any joy then you change it," he said.

"I thought the forwards worked tirelessly for little reward."

"Ishmael got his reward in the end with a goal."