West Brom team produce ‘electrifying’ response to protests against Guochuan Lai – BBC Journalist
Carlos Corberan’s West Brom side reacted in an “electrifying” manner to crowd chants against Guochuan Lai at the Hawthorns on Friday night, according to BBC Sport reporter Ged Scott.
After large sections of the home support lit up their phones in a planned protest, the Baggies delivered the goods on the pitch against Coventry as Grady Diangana poked the ball home following a long throw on the 15-minute mark.
The Albion faithful were protesting against Baggies majority shareholder Lai’s failure to repay his £4.95million loan to the club, which he had promised to repay on the stroke of the New Year.
Reporting live from the Hawthorns (Friday 3 February), Scott wrote: “That was almost seamless the way Albion fans staged that.
“No sooner They lit up their phones for a planned protest against West Brom owner Guochuan Lai than it had an illuminating electrifying effect on the pitch too.
“It was starting to look as if it might be only a matter of time before the dam burst – and it finally did.
“A tad ironic that the goal actually came from a long throw, not a cross – but Jed Wallace’s move inside to accommodate new man Marc Albrighton on the wing looks inspired. He’s still been involved in almost everything – and he led the shared celebrations with one-half of the partitioned Smethwick End.
“On the other side of that partition, the Sky Blues fans have been silenced – and look stunned.
Raucous atmosphere
The planned protest against Lai went ahead as planned on Friday night, but the West Brom players were solely focused on their jobs on the pitch. The Action for Albion group announced they would continue to protest against the board until the financial issues of the club were resolved.
Amid a raucous home atmosphere, the Baggies started brilliantly in what was an end-to-end game throughout. Marc Albrighton looked extremely bright on the right wing, while Daryl Dike looked back to his bulldozing best at the tip of Corberan’s attack.
After spurning a couple of golden opportunities in the opening ten minutes, the Baggies were rewarded for their dominance with Diangan’s opener.
The goal was a little scrappy, but at the end of the day, they all count.
From a missile of a long throw from Darnell Furlong, Wallace flicked the ball on, and after a couple of deflections in the box, Diangana poked the ball home at the back post.
In other West Brom news, Carlos Corberan opens up on the future of winger Karlan Grant after his Swansea January transfer collapsed on deadline day.