West Brom 4-0 Barnsley: Baggies end poor season with big win
West Brom ended their Championship season with an emphatic 4-0 win to pile even more misery on relegated Barnsley.
The Baggies, with one of the biggest wage budgets in the division, had been expected to push for an instant return to the Premier League following relegation last year.
But having started the season under head coach Valerien Ismael, new manager Steve Bruce was only able to steer them to a 10th placed-finish.
The Baggies, though, did give their supporters some reason for optimism on the final day, with a brace from Karlan Grant as well as strikes from Adam Reach and Matt Clarke seeing them to victory at The Hawthorns.
With their number of absentees stretching into double figures, Barnsley caretaker head coach Martin Devaney named a youthful side with Cauley Woodrow their only outfield player aged over 22.
And the Tykes struggled to get to grips with West Brom right from the off.
In the 20th minute, goalkeeper Jack Walton made a smart stop to smother the ball at the feet of Grant after he had been put through by Semi Ajayi.
Then in the 26th minute, Dara O’Shea sent a powerful header over the bar following a Matt Phillips corner.
Despite their dominance, it was a refereeing blunder from Leigh Doughty that allowed Albion to open the scoring in the 37th minute.
The official pointed to the spot after judging that Clarke Oduor had fouled Jayson Molumby in the box, despite the Barnsley defender clearly getting the ball.
Grant then fired in from 12 yards for his 17th goal of the season.
There was no element of luck about Albion’s second which arrived in the 40th minute.
David Button sent a long ball forward and with fellow keeper Walton caught in two minds, Reach brilliantly lifted the ball over his head and into the net from 20 yards.
West Brom made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute. Grady Diangana found Grant in the box who then moved it on to an unmarked Clarke to fire in from six yards.
And in the 60th minute it was 4-0 with Ajayi slipping Grant through on goal and the striker brilliantly lifted the ball over Walton and in.
Albion were awarded what, this time, was a certain penalty in the 68th minute when Liam Kitching fouled Darnell Furlong.
Grant though was denied a hat-trick after opting for the same corner as his first penalty only for his low drive to be well saved by Walton.
The Baggies then came a whisker away from grabbing a fifth late on when youngster Caleb Taylor, making his Championship debut, produced a powerful header which Jasper Moon blocked on the line.
What the managers said…
West Brom’s Steve Bruce: „This season has not been good enough. Looking back on the three months, it was the first month where I didn’t make the impact I would have liked. We didn’t get anywhere near the results that we needed to give us a chance. I couldn’t address the slide quickly enough and that is the overriding feeling I have at this moment in time.
„We finished OK. We’ve given a glimpse of how we want to try and approach it next year. But it was a little bit too late. We have got good players in the club and my challenge is to put a squad together that is capable of getting us to where we want to get to. We’ve got a big summer ahead.“
Barnsley’s caretaker head coach Martin Devaney: „We had such a young team. For a lot of the players, it was only their second or third game so it was always going to be a massive struggle for us. But I thought up until the penalty, which clearly wasn’t a penalty, we did well. The structure was good, our pressing was good.
„But they got that penalty. And then you are asking a young team to gather their minds and make sure they stay in the game. But they got that second goal which was really disappointing. The young boys, though, will learn from that. It will be a great experience for them.“
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