West Brom debrief: Star turns, Friday decisions and boisterous Hawthorns
Nothing could separate Albion and Southampton in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final with everything to play for at St Mary’s on Friday night.
We take a look at some of the talking points in the Albion debrief.
Pride versus regret
You’d have struggled to find many Baggies at The Hawthorns on Sunday or watching from afar who didn’t feel proud of what their side dished out.
It wasn’t quite enough to break the deadlock in the tie but there were times when Albion had Southampton, a better side this season, on the back foot – just as they did in the second half at St Mary’s in November.
It was a display that promised much, but there is no ignoring it could have been better had the visitors’ net bulged.
And it could have. Grady Diangana was Albion’s chief protagonist with those two chances, the second of which was a tame finish when he should have worked Alex McCarthy harder.
In Corberan’s words “there will always be this (regret)” when chances aren’t taken. But Albion can focus on the positives they created. Missed chances and the lack of a killer touch in the final third has been the story of the season – but the Baggies are still in it.
Key milestones
