The Baggies were forced to settle for a point at The Hawthorns on Tuesday night after playing out a 1-1 draw against an in-form Southampton side. Following Saturday’s impressive 3-1 victory over West Ham United, James Morrison’s Baggies were aiming to make it back-to-back wins and continue their push towards the top of the Championship.
There was a huge buzz around The Hawthorns ahead of Tuesday night’s encounter, with Albion supporters still riding high following Saturday’s fantastic 3–1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium. Confidence was growing among the Baggies faithful, and there was a real sense of excitement surrounding James Morrison’s side.
However, there was little time to celebrate, with another tough Championship fixture awaiting against an in-form Southampton side. As the season heads into the demanding winter months, fixtures will continue to come thick and fast, and Albion will need to maintain their momentum, consistency and determination if they are to keep themselves firmly in the promotion race.
Albion Make a Bright Start
The Baggies started the game on the front foot, looking to carry their attacking momentum from Saturday’s impressive victory over West Ham into another important Championship encounter.
Jimmy-Jay Morgan was the first to threaten the Southampton defence after Isaac Price produced a clever turn before threading a perfectly weighted pass into the young striker’s path. Morgan managed to break through the Saints’ defensive line, but his effort flew over Daniel Peretz’s crossbar.
Albion continued to push forward in search of the opening goal, with Jayson Molumby testing Peretz from distance before Morgan attempted an acrobatic volley that sailed high and wide.
However, the Baggies wouldn’t have to wait much longer for their breakthrough.
Just three minutes later, Rabby Nzingoula was brought down inside the Southampton penalty area, leaving the referee with a decision to make. A penalty was awarded, and Isaac Price stepped up confidently from 12 yards, sending Peretz the wrong way to give Albion a deserved 1–0 lead.
It was Price’s sixth goal of the season and the perfect reward for Albion’s positive opening spell, sending The Hawthorns into celebration as James Morrison’s side took an early advantage against one of the Championship’s in-form teams.
Southampton Fight Back in the Second Half
After a dominant opening 45 minutes from the Baggies, Southampton emerged for the second half looking like a completely different side.
Tonda Eckert’s Saints had failed to register a shot on goal during the first period, but they wasted little time in showing their attacking quality after the restart.
The visitors soon found themselves back on level terms when Samuel Edozie grabbed the equaliser, cancelling out Isaac Price’s first-half penalty and bringing the score to 1–1.
The goal gave Southampton a huge confidence boost, and suddenly it was James Morrison’s side who found themselves under pressure.
Finn Azaz came close to completing the turnaround, forcing Max O’Leary into an important save from close range. The Albion goalkeeper was then called upon again when another effort from Azaz took a deflection and looked destined for the bottom corner, only for O’Leary to react brilliantly and keep the scores level.
Former Baggies winger Lewis Dobbin also had a golden opportunity to put Southampton ahead after racing through on goal, but once again O’Leary was there to deny the visitors.
It was a frustrating spell for Albion, who had looked so comfortable during the opening half but were now having to work incredibly hard to prevent Southampton from taking control of the contest.
So Close to a Late Winner!
Despite Southampton’s second-half pressure, the Baggies weren’t prepared to settle for a point without one final push.
With the game becoming increasingly stretched, Albion found an opportunity to break forward through Tammer Bany, who raced away from the Southampton defence with a chance to snatch all three points.
The Hawthorns held its breath as Bany unleashed his effort, but agonisingly for the Baggies, the ball struck the foot of the post and bounced away from danger.
It was a huge moment in the closing stages and one that could so easily have changed the outcome of the match.
Neither side could find that decisive second goal, and the final whistle confirmed a 1–1 draw at The Hawthorns.
My Match Verdict — A Game of Two Halves
For me, this really was a game of two halves.
Albion were the better side during the opening 45 minutes, creating several opportunities and deservedly taking the lead through Isaac Price’s penalty. The attacking movement looked encouraging, with Jimmy-Jay Morgan causing problems and the Baggies looking capable of adding to their advantage.
However, Southampton deserve credit for their response after the break. Tonda Eckert’s side came out with greater purpose, found their equaliser through Samuel Edozie and created enough opportunities to potentially take all three points.
Max O’Leary deserves enormous credit for keeping Albion in the game during that difficult second-half spell. Without his important saves, the result could have been very different.
There was also a frustrating moment involving Southampton’s James Bree, who went down before eventually getting back to his feet. It was one of those incidents that disrupted the flow of the game and added to the frustration inside The Hawthorns, particularly with both sides battling for a winning goal.
At the other end, Tammer Bany was desperately unlucky not to become the match-winner when his late effort struck the post.
Ultimately, both teams will probably feel they had opportunities to win the game, but a draw seems a fair reflection of the contest. Albion will be disappointed not to have built on their first-half advantage, but Southampton’s response and O’Leary’s heroics after the break show just how finely balanced this Championship encounter really was.
A Valuable Point in the Promotion Race
Of course, after Saturday’s fantastic victory over West Ham, I would have loved to see Albion follow it up with another three points at The Hawthorns.
However, taking four points from two difficult fixtures against West Ham and Southampton is still a positive return for James Morrison’s side.
There are plenty of encouraging signs, particularly in Albion’s attacking play, but the second-half performance also highlights areas where the Baggies must improve.
Maintaining control of games, remaining organised defensively and taking opportunities when they’re presented will be crucial as the Championship season progresses.
The winter months are going to provide plenty more challenges, but Albion have shown that they can compete with some of the division’s strongest sides.
Full-time: West Bromwich Albion 1–1 Southampton
⚽ Isaac Price (penalty) — West Brom
⚽ Samuel Edozie — Southampton
It might not have been the victory we were hoping for, but it’s another point on the board as the Baggies continue their push towards the promotion places. Next up is Millwall at The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon.