We will stay up

Last updated : 11 November 2002 By Bob Gear
An excellent all round performance from a 3-5-2 Albion tonight confirmed that Stevie Coppell has the management qualities to keep us in this Division.

Coppell played 3 Central defenders, Cullip Blackwell & Pethick, with Mayo and Watson as wing backs. Hart Carpenter and Rodger in central midfield with Barrett & Zamora upfront. Kuipers kept goal.

Simon Rodger holds off a Wolves player


Mayo relished the freedom to come forward, playing his best game of the Season, in a style that we used to see in his early years at the Goldstone. He was beating players from Midfield, getting crosses in and defending well.

The 5 at the back worked well in defence with three covering the Central defenders and closing down the Wolves. Wolves were restricted to 30 yard plus efforts which did not test Kuipers at all during the first Period.

All the best chances of the first half fell to the Albion, Barrett hitting the side netting early on before Zamora scored a goal on 15 minutes that will have the papers raving about him once again in the morning.


Frustrated?
Some quality movement from the Albion continued throughout the half without the incisive spark.

Half-time 1-0 to the Albion, and a deserved lead.

Second half, it had to happen Wolves came all guns blazing at us. We defended valiantly, the 3 Central defenders not letting anything through. Watson & Mayo restricting the crosses, Watson blocking well.



Kuipers quality shone through with many excellent saves. One double save was so good, how did he manage to get up for the secondone & hold on to the ball?

Shit!
Wolves celebrate the equaliser
Eventually the Wolves scored an equaliser, a shot that sent Kuipers one way, then taking a wicked deflection into the other side of the goal. That was the only way they were going to beat Kuipers while he was on that form.

We continued to battle, and in the end earned the point.

We done enough to convince me that we will stay up this Season.