West Bromwich Albion 0 - 0 Coventry City
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 5:36 pm
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.