West Brom 0 Newcastle 0 - Report

A match boss Sam Allardyce described as “must-win,” the Baggies entered the game knowing they would be just six points away from safety if they could beat Steve Bruce’s side.

For 16th placed Newcastle, though, a draw was always going to be a decent result - with it ensuring Albion remain nine points behind them.

And in the end, that’s what the Magpies got with the two teams playing out an uneventful goalless draw.

Albion were the better team for long spells with Mbaye Diagne having a couple of decent oppertunites while Matt Phillips should have scored but instead fired over from eight yards.

Newcastle created a couple of half-chances but Allardyce’s men were largely untroubled as they registered their third clean sheet in four games.

Overall, though, neither team really did enough to win it - with Albion’s goal difference meaning they are effectively nine points from safety with just 10 games remaining.

Report

An angry Allardyce had criticised the Premier League in the days and weeks leading up to the Newcastle clash.

The boss had been left furious with the governing body after they forced his side to play Everton in a rearranged fixture just 60 hours before Steve Bruce’s men arrived in town.

That hectic schedule, Allardyce said, would force him into either resting players against the Toffees or making changes for the Newcastle game.

In the end, though, the boss decided not to freshen things up and started with the same team in both matches.

It meant the Baggies continued in a 4-3-3 formation that saw Okay Yokuslu sit in the holding midfield role with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher more advanced.

Up front, Mbaye Diagne was the central striker with Matt Phillips starting on the left wing and Matheus Pereira on the right.

Newcastle entered the game on the back of a week that had seen a row between Bruce and Matt Ritchie become public.

The Magpies were once again without key players Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson - who are all injured.

They lined up in a 4-3-3 system that saw Joe Willock effectively operate as a false nine with Joelinton wide right and Ryan Fraser on the left.

In what was a keenly contested opening 20 minutes, both teams did everything they could to play on the front foot in a bid to seize the initiative.

It was Newcastle who threatened first with Willock’s pass allowing Joelinton to surge past Dara O’Shea and enter the box.

The Brazilian then looked yo square for Fraser who would have had a tap-in.

But an outstanding challenge from Darnell Furlong saw the defender slide in and clear the danger.

Albion created their first real chance when Pereira cleverly found Townsend out wide before then charging into the box.

The full-back then whipped in a cross that was met by the former Sporting Lisbon man but his volley was straight at Martin Dubravka who made a comfortable stop.

Overall the game had been very even but as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark, Albion started to take control.

They should have opened the scoring when Furlong’s long-throw was flicked on by Kyle Bartley.

Diagne then latched on to it but just six-yards out the Senegal international fired over when he should have done better.

Newcastle responded with a corner routine straight from the training ground.

Fraser’s ball found Jonjo Shelvey on the edge of the box who then saw a low drive parried away by Sam Johnstone.

It was the Baggies, though, who were now the team on the front foot.

And they created two decent chances to open the scoring before half-time.

First Townsend sent in a cross which Diagne met only to see his header somewhat uncomfortably shovelled behind by Dubravka.

Phillips then sent a low cross into the six-yard box that was begging to be tapped home.

Unfortunately, for Albion though, nobody had shown initiative to get on the end of it.

After an uneventful start to the season-half, Albion really should have opened the scoring in the 55th minute.

Following a cleared corner, the Baggies kept the move alive with Townsend sending in a brilliant cross.

And that was met by Phillips who, just eight-yards out, blazed a strike over the bar when he should have done better.

Bruce responded by making a change with Dwight Gayle replacing Jeff Hendrick.

That meant Newcastle were finally playing with a recognised striker - with Willock moving into midfield.

By now, Albion had been the better side for well over half-an-hour.

But with 20 minutes remaining, Newcastle started to come into it more.

And they created a decent chance to open the scoring when Willock found Joelinton in the box.

The striker then looked to find the bottom corner but Johnstone was equal to the effort and got down well to keep the ball out.

Albion responded with a succession of corners - one of which was headed wide by Diagne.

Then with a little under 10 minutes to play, Allardyce made a double change with Hal Robson-Kanu and Karlan Grant replacing Diagne and Phillips.

But while the Baggies huffed and puffed from that point, they created very little with an uneventful game petering out into a stalemate.

Teams

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong, O’Shea, Bartley, Townsend, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles, Gallagher, Pereira, Diagne (Robson-Kanu 83), Phillips (Grant 83).

Subs not used: Button, Peltier, Ajayi, Livermore, Sawyers, Snodgrass, Robinson.

Newcastle (4-3-3): Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Hendrick (Gayle 57), Shelvey, Hayden, Fraser (Carroll 90), Willock, Joelinton.

Subs: Darlow, Lewis, Fernandez, Manquillo, Murphy, Longstaff, Ritchie.