Play-offs: West Brom and Southampton previous meetings as Baggies look to buck trend

Baggies fans are ready to roar on Carlos Corberan’s men both at The Hawthorns and St Mary’s in the Championship play-off semi-final.

Albion have a habit to kick – a 100 per cent losing record against teams managed by Russell Martin. There have been four defeats to former employers Swansea and two to the Saints.

We take a look back at this season’s meetings with Martin’s men and how they played out.

Southampton 2-1 Albion, November 11

Saints made it eight unbeaten down in Hampshire as they started to find their feet in the second tier.

Albion’s cause was not aided by Will Smallbone’s fifth-minute opener, helping home as Alex Palmer saved from Adam Armstrong.

Corberan’s men steadied but could not strike back in the first period as Brandon Thomas-Asante fired wide.

The visitors lost surprise starter Nathaniel Chalobah to injury as Alex Mowatt came on and settled things. Matt Phillips impressed again and fired narrowly wide.

Kyle Bartley found an equaliser on 65 minutes as he turned in after Thomas-Asante headed against the crossbar from Jed Wallace’s pinpoint cross.

The second half was all Albion as Darnell Furlong hit the bar from Conor Townsend’s cross. Albion kept pushing but, against the run of play with 10 minutes left, Ryan Fraser picked out Armstrong at the back post and the frontman had evaded Townsend, who was caught centrally. The Saints man finished and they held on.

Corberan said: “Football shows that, even when you play this game that we have done, we need to keep growing and to attack better and defend better.

“In one point yes (satisfied with the second half), but we are not happy with the result. The feeling I have right now is the result.

“We didn’t deserve to lose the game. We will analyse why. We will keep working. We need to find out why we didn’t defend the goals better. I liked the response of the team.”

Martin said: “I didn’t enjoy the second half that much but the character, togetherness and belief in the squad won us the game.

“We didn’t have enough control but we were playing against a really good team. I’m happy grinding it out like we had to. The spirit pulled us through.”

Albion 0-2 Southampton, February 16

All eyes were on the directors’ box on Friday night as Shilen Patel watched Albion for the first time, but it didn’t go to plan on the pitch. The visitors were able to comfortably respond to their club-record 25-match unbeaten run ending days earlier.

Another early setback. The contest was barely started when, on seven minutes, Corberan was dismissed by referee Sam Allison for encroaching the pitch and touching the ball.

The Baggies were very much second-best for the first half-an-hour and Newcastle loanee Ryan Fraser finished across Palmer on 14 minutes after a short corner. The hosts were seething at a decision not to award a penalty for handball before the break and Thomas-Asante was withdrawn at half-time. Albion couldn’t respond and Saints grew with their changes as sub David Brooks, another loan, netted with 17 minutes left.

Vice-captain Townsend, deputising post-match for Corberan, said: “We were beaten by a better team tonight.

“Going into the game, with the news of the takeover, there was a lot of positivity around the place and you could feel that.

“We’re disappointed that we’ve not been able to back that up with a win. It was a tough game. They’re a good team.”

Martin said: “This was our best win of the season. Not many teams win here.

“The questions were asked of us to see how we responded (to Tuesday’s defeat at Bristol City) – and this was a big moment for us.

“Carlos Corberan is a fantastic coach. But he and I have both learned a new rule tonight.

“It seems a crazy one. He wasn’t trying to stop play intentionally. It’s nonsense really.”