The match started quietly with WBA knocking it around at pre season friendly pace whilst we generally sat back and tried to use the pace of Garek and Kuffour on the break. Albion wasted a few chances before they scored in the 23rd minute. Greening lofted a ball over our back four and Beattie ran onto it and lobbed the ball over Moss. Mossie just watched the effort drop over him and his positioning seemed far from ideal. Later in the half he made to good saves; the first a flying tip over of another Beattie shot although this was one of those spectacular but routine stops whilst the second was much more difficult. Robinson met a corner with a powerful header and Moss reacted superbly to push the ball high into the air and over the bar with a strong wrist. A few more Albion chances were wasted and in general our two centre backs, Gowling and Pearce, coped well with what the baggies threw at them. Our few attacks produced very little. One nil at half time was about right.
In the second half we came out to play a bit more and in the final twenty minutes were having a real go. Christophe got stronger as the match wore on and looks a real prospect, no doubt why Harry spent a million on him, and we need to find a system to use him to our full advantage whilst he is with us. The substitution of Kuffour and O'Connor by Garry and Pitman had allowed Cummings to be pushed forward and his powerful running caused Albion a few problems.
Despite all this Moss still had to make a few saves but eventually we even won a corner. Our only real chance fell to Pitman who shot wide first time from a Cummings cross field ball but the attempt went a yard wide. Despite some more huffing and puffing we could not score and so went out of the cup at the first time of asking.
Both this and the Forest match show that we are reasonably solid but lack pace and goal power and desperately need another striking option. The defence looks sound and with Anderton and Telfer have the necessary experience to go alongside that of Young. Provided that we can start to score goals we will be ok.
Bond's strategy of not padding the squad with players for the sake of it but waiting to sign players of suitable quality when they become available is the correct one. It means that we will have to use loan players for a while and he appears to have good contacts to obtain these. Given time he may prove to be the correct man for the job and even win over the doubters. I am warming to him.
As for man of the match this goes to Gowling who only made one error during the ninety minutes. Pearce played well at the back also and as I have mentioned before Christophe impressed more and more as the match wore on.
AFCB: Moss, Pearce, Gowling, Young, Cummings, Gradel, Anderton, Christophe, O'Connor, Kuffour, Vokes
Subs: Stewart, Partington, Pitman (for Kuffour, 68), Garry (for Gradel, 68), Cooper (for O'Connor, 83)
Phil Nesbitt, Acocks Green