Sky Sports pundit wowed by West Brom winger Jed Wallace early on at Sunderland
Lee Hendrie was stunned by Jed Wallace’s quality of delivery as the West Brom winger nearly assisted Brandon Thomas-Asante at Sunderland.
A quarter of an hour into Albion’s return to Championship action following the World Cup break, the former Millwall captain fired an inviting ball into the home side’s penalty area that Thomas-Asante couldn’t quite stretch to turn in.
Wallace’s first cross at the start of the game had been well short of his usual standard but he put that right with his second that came so close to the opener, to thoroughly impress Hendrie.
Speaking live on the Sky Sports match commentary on Monday night (12 December, 8.15pm) the pundit said: “It’s an unbelievable cross”.
As the replay rolled he added: “It’s a brilliant ball in”.
Conor Townsend conceded a penalty soon after with a foul on Amad Diallo, which the Ivorian converted to put West Brom behind.
Delivery
It has been a feature of the Baggies season that one of the brightest spots has been Wallace’s delivery from out wide.
Give him enough chances and more often than not he will put the ball into a dangerous area, which more consistent finishing from the forwards would be able to take greater advantage of.
In what was largely a slow start on the return to league action, in bitterly cold temperatures, Wallace looked like providing the most likely route to a goal.
Carlos Corberan won’t have been hugely pleased by what he saw in the first half in the North-East, particular from his back line.
There were a few positive signs though, with John Swift arguably unlucky not to draw a red card for Danny Batth when he stole possession in a dangerous area and was brought down for just a yellow.
Albion have been second best for most of the first half, but if they can get the ball down and play through for Thomas-Asante to run onto, or out wide for Wallace to whip in, there is plenty left in this game at just a goal behind after 45 minutes.
In other West Brom news, a World Cup commentator was baffled by what had happened for a Hawthorns player.