West Bromwich Albion 4, Cardiff City 2
Local boy Romaine Sawyers scored West Brom’s fourth goal at the Hawthorns and condemned Cardiff City to a first defeat in eight SkyBet Championship fixtures.
The Handsworth-born midfield player, a Saint Kitts and Nevis International, struck with his first senior goal for the club during injury time in an Albion win which took them top of the SkyBet Championship.
Sawyers is a product of the Baggies’ youth development programme and left in 20-13 when he signed for Walsall.
He returned to West Brom last summer after six years away and, at the age of 27, scored his first goal in 11 Championship appearances when his late strike clinched victory.
“From a personal point of view, I can’t describe it,” said Sawyers.
“I can’t stop smiling from ear to ear. Everyone knows how much this c lub means to me. To put in a performance like that personally and as a team is amazing.
“It doesn’t get any better.”
While Sawyers was celebrating, the Bluebirds, along with almost 2,000 supporters who made the trip, were frustrated with a defeat which came after they fought back from three goals down to make the score 3-2.
The Bluebirds are almost a quarter of their way through this season and Neil Warnock’s mid-term report is ‘We have the ingredients to put things right’.
Manager Warnock was hugely frustrated by a Robert Glatzel effort which was ruled out because Sean Morrison was offside – and a glaring miss by the German after 68 minutes.
Junior Hoilett delivered his cross perfectly and picked out Glatzel in front of goal, but he could only glance it wide.
“You don’t get better chances than Glatzel’s header, do you?” Said Warnock. “I can’t put them in from the bench.
“Possibly because we can’t hit a barn door at times.
“Goals change games, they give everybody a lift. If that one would have gone in, you would have seen a different West Brom at 2-1.”
Overall, though, Warnock remains positive heading into the international break, saying: “There are a lot of plusses if we were doing a mid-season report.
“People won’t want to play against us. We could improve our goal scoring and defend better, but we have the ingredients to put it right.
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“We’ve just got to work hard on the training ground.”
City have crucial fixtures ahead, starting against Sheffield Wednesday at home on Friday, October 18.
That is followed by Millwall (away), Swansea City (away), Birmingham City (home) and Bristol City (home).
The Bluebirds’ run of seven league games unbeaten has ended and they badly need to start another mini-run of success.
Warnock made two changes to his starting lineup for the QPR match. Callum Paterson took over from Lee Tomlin and Junior Hoilett stepped in for Josh Murphy on the left.
West Brom, who went top of the SkyBet Championship with this win, have an abundance of attacking talent and, following a bright start, City failed to match their intensity and free flowing football.
Warnock believes Albion, Leeds or Fulham, who have all spent a lot of money on their teams, and Cardiff are probably looking at a play-off slot to keep their promotion hopes alive.
West Brom dominated much of the first half and led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Matheus Pereira (20) and Grady Diangana (42).
Charlie Austin added a third after 71 minutes, his first for the Baggies, before Warnock sent on Danny Ward and the substitute scored two goals.
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The Bluebirds were right back in contention and West Brom were hanging on, but Romaine Sawyers completed the 4-2 scoreline in the last minute.
Almost 2,000 City fans followed their team to the English Midlands and were left bitterly disappointed.
“It’s difficult,” said Warnock. “We had good opportunities and feel let down by one or two decisions which have gone against us, but that’s typical when your luck is out.
“I said at half-time we need to put on a performance. There was no point feeling sorry for ourselves. We were a lot better in the second half.”
West Bromwich Albion: Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Ferguson, Sawyers, Livermore, Diangana, Pereira, Phillips, Austin. Subs : Bond, Edwards, O’Shea, Gibbs, Zohore, Krovinovic, Robson-Kanu.
Cardiff City: Smithies, Peltier, Morrison, Flint, Bennett, Bacuna, Pack, Paterson (Mendez-Laing 58), Hoilett, Whyte (Murphy 80), Glatzel (Ward 73). Subs not used: Etheridge, Nelson, Coxe, Tomlin.
Referee: John Brooks
Attendance: 25,140
