Alex Palmer given ‘rapturous’ applause from West Brom fans after Preston win
West Brom goalkeeper Alex Palmer was met by “rapturous” applause from The Hawthorns after keeping a second consecutive clean sheet against Preston, The Athletic reports.
Carlos Corberan’s side made it seven wins from their last eight Championship matches with a 2-0 victory over the Lilywhites on Thursday evening (29 December).
During this run, Palmer has recorded six clean sheets in a quite remarkable turnaround from the leaky defence who were destined for relegation under Steve Bruce.
According to The Athletic’s journalist Elias Burke, the Englishman was justly rewarded for his efforts after the final whistle.
He wrote: “After the full-time whistle blew, Alex Palmer turned to the Smethwick End and gave the West Bromwich Albion supporters a thumbs up.
“Another clean sheet marked 12 hours without conceding an open-play goal, warranting the rapturous applause he received. It was another crowning moment for a local academy graduate who has grasped an unlikely opportunity with both hands.”
Revelation
Palmer has been at the heart of the Baggies’ transformation under Corberan in recent months and has become the first name on the Spaniard’s teamsheet following a string of brilliant performances.
The shot-stopper produced a compact display against Preston but was never properly tested as West Brom asserted their dominance over their Championship rivals.
Whenever a club looks to build a foundation upon the arrival of a new manager, a solid defence can lay the groundworks to build around, and this has very much been the case with West Brom.
After nicking 1-0 wins over QPR and Blackpool – proving their defensive qualities – the attack is now beginning to flourish. Jed Wallace, in particular, was at his very best against Preston, weaving magic down his wing all night long.
Linking up beautifully with Brandon Thomas-Asante and Grady Diangana, Corberan will now face a plethora of selection dilemmas as his side continues to move from strength to strength.
In other West Brom news, this Baggies player has sent a late-night message to Aston Villa senior man after Hawthorns sighting.