Saints face a tough, but familar foe today in the form of WBA. Can Saints get another three points from a team that is certainly looking like they could be automatic promotion material? Davis Jesus-Baird-Pele-Bale Balmadi-Viafara-Wright-Skacel BWP-Rasiak Subs: Jones, Dyer, Surman, Cranie, Poke (GK)
Thankfully Bale and Pele passed their fitness tests today and are able to play. Saints really need to get another good CB and LB in as cover before transfer window close.
Saints are facing two familiar faces today from WBA in the form of Quashie and Chaplow. The rest of Albion's squad are rather good as well. Zuberbuhler Watson-Perry-Davies-Robinson Wallwork-Greening-Quashie-Ellington Gera-Hartson Subs: Carter, Chaplow, Inamoto, Albrechtsen, Steele (GK)
About five minutes in and both teams are still feeling each other out. Hartson with a good attempt two minutes in which was followed up by BWP and Rasiak a minute or two later. Saints got a way just now with a bad play. Pele made a terrific clearance of a Greening cross only for the rest of his defence to sit there and watch the ball while Gera ran on and put a good shot on net.
On a side note, former Saint Johann Folly is now out for at least six weeks with a new injury which he suffered in Wednesday's match versus Luton on Tuesday. Hopefully for him he can get through this injury as he was doing very well with his chance of finally starting in the first 11.
Albion announcers are really giving some good praise to Pele which is a nice change from the usual crap about how can he call himself Pele. Other than that, they still are a bit of a smug lot really. Funny how spending two years in the top flight in over ten years' time can change one's attitude.
WBA with a freekick just outside Saints' box. Ellington off with a reacurrance of an injury he suffered earlier in the match. Carter comes on for Ellington and promptly puts the freekick just over the Saints net. Still 0-0 after 26' minutes
Carter down in pain with a possible knee injury, but he is trying to carry on however Chaplow is at the ready just in case. 0-0 32' minutes
Quashie with a yellow card after a foul on Balmadi. Albion commentators are really complaining that Balmadi is flapping around like a fish and is just trying to get Quashie thrown out.
Quashie gets a yellow on the 34' minute for a foul on Balmadi. After a couple of minutes and a few handbags later Balmadi gets a yellow for a foul on Quashie on the 36' minute. Somehow I don't think those two will be around for the full match.
Saints 0 WBA 0 HT WBA started off the slightly brighter of the two teams, but Saints have played very well in the final 15-20 minutes. All in all, this was our best first half of the season so far. Hopefully we have our typical second half and get the full three points!!
Boy these announcers from Albion are really a bunch of whingers. Now they are complaining about the half-time announcer and entertainment!! According to them Ostlund's only talent is diving while Bale only knows how to do freekicks but doesn't even know the basics of defending. These two have really gone on to w@anker status!! Oh, by the way, Hartson is God according to these two!!
Quashie down injured after a hard, but legal challenge from Viafara. One ex-Skate on another!! Of course those Brum w@ankers are complaining that he has been down at least two minutes even though the match is bearly 90 seconds into the second half.
Surman on for Skacel on the 57' minute. Never really heard much from Rudi in this match. I suspect that he is off due to lack of fitness. Surman has really made an impact in his first couple of minutes. A nice cross which BWP just missed putting in.
Well that is true. Cope will give you a real headache on any shot that comes toward the net while Case is never pleased with anything.
Another interesting quote from Jimmy Case on the Saint: "If Hartson had slanty-eyes, he'd look like a Sumo wrestler"
BWP with yet another shot that just missed from going in. Great pass from Rasiak which caught the entire WBA defence sleeping. Still 0-0 after 65' minutes.
Chaplow on for Wallwork, and Inamoto on for Greening on the 71' minute for WBA. Hartson will have to hang in there for the rest of the match even though his legs are starting to give out.