Baggies peg back high-flying Brums
Source: Agencies |
March 6, 2011, Sunday
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WEST Bromwich Albion boosted its hopes of avoiding relegation from the English Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Birmingham City at St. Andrew's yesterday.
Youssouf Mulumbu, James Morrison and Paul Scharner scored second-half goals for West Brom, which claimed a first league victory since January 15 to climb to 16th place and above Birmingham.
Host Birmingham came back down to earth after beating Arsenal 2-1 to win the League Cup last Sunday, falling apart after Chile midfielder Jean Beausejour had made it 1-1 in the 48th minute.
It was West Brom's first victory since former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson took charge of the team on February 10, and a vital one considering how tight the table is at the bottom.
"We knew Birmingham were around us (in the table) and the lads stood up and did a good job today," said Morrison, who scored the standout goal of the match.
Birmingham shaded a poor first half but conceded two minutes into the second when substitute Peter Odemwingie stabbed the ball through to Mulumbu, who poked a rising shot past goalkeeper Ben Foster from 12 yards.
The home side replied barely 60 seconds later through Beausejour, who slotted home at the far post after meeting a low cross from Lee Bowyer.
West Brom, though, started to dominate possession and retook the lead when Morrison collected a pass from Steven Reid, spun past a leaden-footed Curtis Davies and smashed a left-footed shot home from 18 yards.
Baggies midfielder Chris Brunt slammed a shot against the post before Scharner made the game safe in the 72nd, latching onto Morrison's cross and powering in a header that Foster couldn't prevent from crossing the line.
"I thought the players worked really hard," said Hodgson, whose team had previously drawn three straight games since he joined. "Perhaps we were lucky to catch Birmingham on a bad day, but we ran out worthy winners.
"They had their cup final last Sunday. This was a cup final for us."
In Germany, Borussia Dortmund raced into a 15-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over visiting FC Cologne on Friday that took it closer to its first German title since 2002.
Poland's Robert Lewandowski struck the winner just before the break with Cologne goalkeeper Michael Rensing making half a dozen sensational saves and the hosts rattling the bar twice.
Dortmund's 19th win in 25 games lifted it to 61 points before second-placed Bayer Leverkusen welcomed VfL Wolfsburg yesterday.
Champion Bayern Munich, whose title defense all but ended last week with defeat by Dortmund, is fourth on 42 points and was traveling to third-placed Hanover 96 yesterday.
Cologne is on 29 points.
"This must be one of the most deserved 1-0 wins ever," said visibly relieved Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp. "My players worked non-stop over 90 minutes and we created many chances."
Lucas Barrios struck the crossbar in the 79th, and Nuri Sahin hit the bar again in the 84th from Dortmund's 21st shot on target.
Youssouf Mulumbu, James Morrison and Paul Scharner scored second-half goals for West Brom, which claimed a first league victory since January 15 to climb to 16th place and above Birmingham.
Host Birmingham came back down to earth after beating Arsenal 2-1 to win the League Cup last Sunday, falling apart after Chile midfielder Jean Beausejour had made it 1-1 in the 48th minute.
It was West Brom's first victory since former Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson took charge of the team on February 10, and a vital one considering how tight the table is at the bottom.
"We knew Birmingham were around us (in the table) and the lads stood up and did a good job today," said Morrison, who scored the standout goal of the match.
Birmingham shaded a poor first half but conceded two minutes into the second when substitute Peter Odemwingie stabbed the ball through to Mulumbu, who poked a rising shot past goalkeeper Ben Foster from 12 yards.
The home side replied barely 60 seconds later through Beausejour, who slotted home at the far post after meeting a low cross from Lee Bowyer.
West Brom, though, started to dominate possession and retook the lead when Morrison collected a pass from Steven Reid, spun past a leaden-footed Curtis Davies and smashed a left-footed shot home from 18 yards.
Baggies midfielder Chris Brunt slammed a shot against the post before Scharner made the game safe in the 72nd, latching onto Morrison's cross and powering in a header that Foster couldn't prevent from crossing the line.
"I thought the players worked really hard," said Hodgson, whose team had previously drawn three straight games since he joined. "Perhaps we were lucky to catch Birmingham on a bad day, but we ran out worthy winners.
"They had their cup final last Sunday. This was a cup final for us."
In Germany, Borussia Dortmund raced into a 15-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over visiting FC Cologne on Friday that took it closer to its first German title since 2002.
Poland's Robert Lewandowski struck the winner just before the break with Cologne goalkeeper Michael Rensing making half a dozen sensational saves and the hosts rattling the bar twice.
Dortmund's 19th win in 25 games lifted it to 61 points before second-placed Bayer Leverkusen welcomed VfL Wolfsburg yesterday.
Champion Bayern Munich, whose title defense all but ended last week with defeat by Dortmund, is fourth on 42 points and was traveling to third-placed Hanover 96 yesterday.
Cologne is on 29 points.
"This must be one of the most deserved 1-0 wins ever," said visibly relieved Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp. "My players worked non-stop over 90 minutes and we created many chances."
Lucas Barrios struck the crossbar in the 79th, and Nuri Sahin hit the bar again in the 84th from Dortmund's 21st shot on target.
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