West Bromwich Albion 0 - 0 Coventry City

[dutchman]

Brilliant penalty save in late drama at The Hawthorns



Ben Wilson pulled off a brilliant last minute penalty save to secure a point for Coventry City at West Bromwich Albion.

The goalkeeper was back in the side ahead of first choice Simon Moore at The Hawthorns where the Sky Blues passed up two clear cut chances to score in each half.

Jamie Allen and Ben Sheaf had clear cut opportunities to beat the Baggies’ keeper David Button in a fairly even Championship contest before the home side wasted their own gilt-edged chance at the death after Michael Rose had fouled Callum Robinson in the box.

But Wilson dived to his right and showed a strong hand to deny striker Karlan Grant a winner in the goalless draw that pretty much killed both sides' hopes of making the play-offs – the result leaving the Sky Blues six points off sixth place, with just two games remaining.

The game started with action at both ends as the two sides went in search of an early goal, the Baggies threatening when Semi Ajayi got forward on the overlap to send in a threatening ball to the six yard box which City managed to clear, while a decent passage of play produced an exciting attack that was finally snuffed out at the other end.

The travelling Sky Blue Army, meanwhile, dominated in the singing department, taunting the relatively quiet home contingent.

Coventry carved out a terrific chance on the counter attack in the 15th minute when Callum O’Hare ran with the ball at his feet and the defence backing off, knowing Jamie Allen was to his left. Allen duly received the pass and cut inside his marker onto his right foot in the box but curled his shot wide of the far post in what was a glorious opportunity to put his side in front.

Karlan Grant was kicking himself at the other end just before the half hour mark when he raced onto a long ball from the back and looked favourite to score past Ben Wilson, only to come under pressure from Kyle McFadzean as the keeper snatched the ball to safety as the striker attempted to lift it over him.

Albion enjoyed two corners before the break but Ben Wilson caught the first and Michael Rose headed away the second, albeit both being fouled in the process. And there was time for City to have one of their own before the interval, only for the short flag kick to disappointingly amount to nothing as what started out as a promising opening 45 petered out.

The half-time stats of five attempts for the Baggies and four for City, with not a single one on target, just about summed up a tight affair at The Hawthorns.

Ben Wilson was called upon to make his first save of the afternoon three minutes into the second half when centre-back Matt Clarke got on the end of a corner, only for the City keeper to react quickly and push it away to safety.

Albion looked a different proposition after the break, enjoying three corners in quick succession to test City’s defensive resolve and beginning to dominate possession.

O’Hare made way for a second striker in Martyn Waghorn just after the hour as Robins attempted to turn the tide while Allen got on the end of an Ian Maatsen cross but could only send his header up in the air rather than direct it goalwards.

Waghorn curled a 20-yard free-kick inches wide in the 73rd minute as the game remained finely balanced albeit lacking quality in the final third. Viktor Gyokeres forced the keeper to parry away at his near post before Ben Sheaf danced his way into the box, getting past two defenders before hitting a shot which was too close to David Button, who made a comfortable save when the Coventry midfielder should really have placed it round him.

There was late drama when Rose tripped Robinson in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time but Wilson was the hero of the day, pulling off a sensational one-handed save to secure the point.

[dutchman]

West Brom and Coventry play out goalless draw



West Bromwich Albion have been involved in six goalless draws this season - four of them at The Hawthorns

West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City's slim Championship play-off hopes were ended as as the two sides played out a goalless Midlands derby at The Hawthorns.

But it needed a last-penalty save by Coventry keeper Ben Wilson to deny Albion a dramatic injury-time winner.

Michael Rose was adjudged to have fouled Callum Robinson but Wilson, making his first start in three months, dived to his right to palm away Karlan Grant's 96th-minute spotkick.

That officially put an end to any lingering play-off hopes Steve Bruce's Albion nurtured, while Coventry's bid is over too.

Mark Robins' side sit six points behind sixth-placed Sheffield United, with two games to go and a far worse goal difference.

Their only hope of making the play-offs would have been if the five teams immediately above them lost their remaining two games and they won both of theirs, with a major turnaround in goal difference. But two of those teams - QPR and Sheffield United - play each other next Friday night at Loftus Road.

In a poor game in which neither side managed a shot in target in the first 45 minutes, it turned into the sixth goalless draw Albion's fans have suffered this season - four of them at The Hawthorns.

Viktor Gyokeres, Jamie Allen (twice), Ben Sheaf and Martyn Waghorn missed chances for the visitors.

Grant and Matt Clarke wasted Albion's best openings prior to the late penalty drama, while Andy Carroll slid in at the far post to sky over a Matt Phillips corner.

Albion, who drop to 13th, have two remaining games, away to Bruce's old Manchester United team-mate Paul Ince's Reading next Saturday followed by the visit of relegated Barnsley.

Coventry wind up their season with a visit from one of Robins' former clubs, automatic promotion chasers Huddersfield, followed by a final-day trip to Stoke.

West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Bruce told BBC Radio WM:

"There is a long summer ahead. We need a freshness in terms of the players we want to bring in. And we're on with it. It will be a new-look team.

"We are not going to accept being mid-table. There are a lot of players that have been here for a long time and the supporters want to see some new faces more than anything.

"We've got to be professional in our last two games and maybe we'll look at the younger element. But we still want to finish the season respectfully and in a respectable position.

"It was a penalty because he gave it. It didn't make any difference, but it looked a bit soft."

Coventry City manager Mark Robins:

"My disappointment was the penalty was given in the first place. No way on this planet was that a penalty but he couldn't wait to give it.

"Ben Wilson's penalty save was out of this world - top drawer. Not only that, his distribution and general play was really good and gave us a decent platform to play.

"We were really good value for a point and we could have nicked something with a bit more belief. If that belief shifts in one or two individuals in the team then we will score more goals and create more chances. Then we can clearly move forward a little bit more.

"When you're playing against teams like this who were in the Premier League last season, they've got Premier League quality. When you've got a powerhouse in the air like Andy Carroll, you're always under pressure and you've got to try to stop crosses."