Stoke City (1) 1 WBA (0) 2 – 15/4/23 3pm
As the game slipped into anarchy, City conceded two poor goals to again snatch defeat from victory. Worst ref rating on record (F-), and Ben Pearson had a red card. The other Ben (Wilmot) was stretchered off in the first half. This chaos went something like this:
“We always beat West Brom” rang the old chant here at the bet365, particularly when it was The Brit…but those days seem far away, and now it’s gone back to being hit or miss. Well, we can’t have that! Albion are still in with a faint chance of a playoff spot, well until 5pm that is! Stoke in with a faint chance of a top-half finish, well until 5pm that is! Ex-Stokie favourite Erik the Viking Pieters (35) starts at the back for The Baggies. Meanwhile a squirrel finds its way on to the pitch!
0.00 Only Nathan Chalobah not taking the knee – bit odd.
2.45 Hoever given a nudge as he goes up for a header by Conor Townsend, causing him to land badly. Totally unnecessary.
7.30 Gayle actually has a shot on goal. Of course, it skims wide, but it makes an interesting spectacle: a Stoke striker shooting.
12.20 Fans from both sides get into a singing war, but when Stoke fans bring out Delilah, the whole place goes up as Albion fans despise the song.
13.12 Laurant header is palmed away by keeper Alex Palmer. Great cross by Hoever.
14.20 Tyrese Campbell slips over again. Who is watering this pitch? And why don’t they give Tyrese better boots?
20.20 Jacob Brown is yellow carded for up-ending Brandon Thomas-Asante. Next Gayle twirls round Chalobah, and he soon crumples in the centre circle with a shoulder pull.
29.02 1-0 !!!! Jacob Brown heads home from an excellent cross from, none other than central defender Morgan Fox from the left!! Brown headed it down and effectively under keeper Palmer, which seemed as much of a surprise to him as anyone else! But Stoke lead!
32.20 Thomas-Asante grabs Wilmot’s neck as he goes past him. Has he got a yellow card? No. Why?? Ben is down for a long period, and the crowd let the referee know how they feel about the situation, and the fact that the Albion player comes over to offer his apologies.
40.30 Finally, Wilmot is stretchered off with oxygen, and Jagielka replaces him. That’s 8 minutes lost.
43.35 Erik Pieters gets yellow for the meekest of tackles, almost to make up for not booking Thomas-Asante.
45+5 As the crowd boo Asante, Pearson barges him over, much to the crowd’s pleasure
45+7 Daryl Dike stretchered off too!!
45+14 HT City 1 Albion 0
48.35 Tyrese hurled down by Darnell Furlong in another nasty looking challenge.
Attendance 23486, possibly the highest of the season!
57.40 As Sterling give the ball away, Bonham makes a superb save.
58.12 1-1 !! After hitting the bar from the corner, Jayson Molumby heads in the rebound.
60.50 Morgan Fox is yellowed for barging Thomas-Asante off the pitch! Frankly, the ref seems to be playing a political game rather than this actual game.
63.20 Pearson yellowed after a high challenge from Swift! Ref officially all over the place.
64.42 Another fantastic save from Bonham after Thomas-Asante breaks free.
65.15 Ref lets play go on after Jacob Brown is poleaxed in the centre-circle. Eventually he has to stop play to allow Brown to get attention.
68.12 1-2 !! After Jagielka fails to clear, the ball hits the bar, and then just creeps over the line by inches from Molumby.
70.44 Bonham comes charging out and misses the challenge, but thankfully defenders clear up at the back.
73.30 Tymon and Thompson on for Tyrese and Smallbone.
80.30 Nick Powell tries to keep the game going chasing after the ball so Albion can take a free kick. He nudges into time-wasting Chalobah, who falls over as if hit by a bus! Ref has a quiet word with Nick.
88.35 Molumby goes down in the corner, rolls around so much that hie rolls into the corner flag!! Laughable.
90+4 Pearson is red carded (2nd yellow for dissent) and the games collapses into anarchy with wild challenges everywhere.
90+9 FT City 1 Albion 2 (Ref F- !!!)
