West Brom player ratings v Middlesbrough: Heggem run ragged, Alex Palmer shines in vain
West Brom lost their second Championship match in a row with a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at The Hawthorns on Tuesday (1 October).
Chances were at a premium in a tight first half for the Baggies, who were made to wait for opportunities as Alex Palmer made two strong saves at the other end. In the starting side for the first time this season, Jed Wallace had Albion’s two best chances, putting one wide and the other straight at Sony Dieng.
The early stages of the second half followed a similar pattern, but Albion just couldn’t get going in attack, and despite making another brilliant stop to deny Ben Doak, Palmer couldn’t keep out Hayden Hackney’s nonchalant strike from the edge of the box.
Josh Maja had two glorious chances to level it late on for Albion, but could only put one wide and another into the side netting, before late efforts from Alex Mowatt were parried away by desperate Boro defence to see out a 1-0 win for the visitors..
West Brom News rates the performance of each player out of 10.
Alex Palmer – 7
Parried an early shot from Azaz straight into the path of McGree, but was given a reprieve as the he fired over the bar from close range. Called back into action soon afterwards and made a fantastic save to keep out Latte Lath’s header. Was soon needed again and only his outstretched leg denied Doak from close range, but was then unsighted as Hayden Hackney slotted home to open the scoring.
Darnell Furlong – 7
Got up and down the right flank at will and three dangerous crosses from the byline resulted in three Albion corners. Was at one point played in behind by Racic, but couldn’t find Maja with his first-time cross. Met Racic with a long throw which forced a save from Dieng, and was handy in defence too, sliding across to dispossess Latte Lath on the edge of his own box.
Kyle Bartley – 5
Turned inside out by Azaz in the box, only to be spared by Palmer’s save, but everything which came to him in the air was headed clear. Wouldn’t be tricked by Azaz again, and blocked his path to goal before deflecting the eventual shot behind.
Semi Ajayi – 4
Stood tall in the box to head successive Ayling crosses away from danger, with Latte Lath providing Middlesbrough’s biggest threat in the air. Lost out in a tussle with the Ivorian on the break, but was bailed out by Furlong.
Torbjorn Heggem (off for Callum Styles, 78′) – 3
Tested early on by Doak, who had the Norwegian beaten for pace down the flank, but Heggem won out the second time around. Saw one left-sided cross deflect into Dieng’s gloves, but was then beaten all-ends-up by Doak in behind, only for Palmer to come to Albion’s rescue as Heggem headed behind. Hooked with Albion 1-0 down, after being turned yet again in the build-up to Boro’s goal.
Uros Racic (off for Jayson Molumby, 63′) – 5
Allowed to make runs forward at will and often popped up on the edge of Boro’s box, as well as helping to cut out crosses in and around his own area. Got on the end of Furlong’s long throw into the box, but couldn’t really test Dieng, and saw another effort blocked after being teed up by Grant’s flick. Shown a yellow card after dragging Hackney to the ground and was quickly taken off.
Alex Mowatt – 4
Back in the side, and back spraying long-range passes forward and to the wings. Slid in on Morris to earn himself a first-half yellow card, and was then sent twisting and turning by Azaz before the midfielder’s shot was blocked. Slipped at a crucial moment in the build-up to Boro’s goal, but then laid on a peach of a cross for Maja, who did everything but score as the Baggies chased the game. A last-ditch cross into the middle from Mowatt was then palmed away by Dieng as the visitors clung on.
Jed Wallace (off for Tom Fellows, 54′) – 5
The Albion captain made an early run in behind the Boro defence but Maja couldn’t quite find him, and should have made it 1-0 after being teed up by the striker – but put it straight at Dieng. Couldn’t then make Boro pay after a fast break from Grant, pulling his eventual shot wide. Hooked just nine minutes into the second half with the popular Tom Fellows coming on.
John Swift (off for Mikey Johnston, 63′) – 4
Set up by Wallace on the edge of the box, Swift went for goal, but could only curl his effort over the top. Jumped in just in time at the back to cut out a cross to Morris in the box, but then mistimed his run forward and started offside to bring Grant’s chance to a swift end. Popped up on the edge of the box again, but saw his shot blocked and was taken off soon after.
Karlan Grant (off for Lewis Dobbin, 78′) – 6
Often dropped deep to help out Heggem in defence, and then turned possession over high up the pitch to spark a Wallace chance. Barged through Ayling to carve out a second-half chance, but Swift’s offside meant it came to nothing, and Grant’s industrious running down the left continued until he was taken off late.
Josh Maja – 5
Should have put Wallace clean through on goal as the Baggies broke clear, but massively overhit his pass straight to Dieng. Then set up his captain for Albion’s best chance, only for Wallace to be denied. Had two golden chances late on, but couldn’t quite steer Mowatt’s cross home and then lashed Johnston’s throughball into the side netting.
Substitutions:
Tom Fellows (on for Jed Wallace, 54′) – 5 – Looked to test Boro around the outside and crossed at will into the box, but struggled to pick out a man each time. One did right at the death though, sparking a scramble in the box with Dieng left down on the deck.
Jayson Molumby (on for Uros Racic, 63′) – 4 – Combined well with Johnston down the left, but his cross was blocked behind for a corner, and the Irishman was then caught in no-man’s land before Hackney stroked home for Boro.
Mikey Johnston (on for John Swift, 63′) – 5 – Released Molumby down the left channel with his first contribution after coming on. Overhit two crosses behind when he really should have done better, either side of an inch-perfect pass which sent Maja through on goal before he fired into the side netting.
Lewis Dobbin (on for Karlan Grant, 78′) – N/A
Callum Styles (on for Torbjorn Heggem, 78′) – 4 – Drove forward from left-back as often as he could but refrained from shooting despite twice having space to let fly.
In other West Brom news, a pub near The Hawthorns is set to be inundated with fans after what Bayern Munich did.
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