Dan Godfrey

Sun 2 March 2025 12:31, UK

West Brom earned a solid point at Leeds United to end the Championship leaders’ winning run at the weekend.

The Baggies levelled late in the first half through Darnell Furlong after fellow full-back Junior Firpo opened the scoring for the hosts early on.

It was not to be Firpo’s only notable involvement in Saturday’s score draw (1 March), however, with one particular incident picked up concerning the officials.

Leeds man got away with one, says Hackett

There may have been goals at Elland Road on Saturday between Leeds and West Brom, but there were no cards issued by referee Farai Hallam.

The man in the middle elected not to turn to his book during the contest, though some feel he should have after Firpo tangled with Tom Fellows.

The Albion winger was pulled back by his shorts by the chasing Firpo during one phase of play but the Dominican Republic international escaped scot-free, something former FIFA official Keith Hackett believes could have sparked a trend of indiscipline in the game.

“This is a yellow card offence for unsporting behaviour for stopping a promising attack,” Hackett told MOT Leeds News.

“This is the type of offence in a game that can raise the temperature in a game and indiscipline.”

West Brom finished the game having taken fewer shots than their hosts, but hitting the target more often to work goalkeeper Illan Meslier, Furlong the man to go one better.

This was despite Firpo telling Sky Sports after the game (1 March) that Leeds unlike West Brom were the only team trying to push for the win.

West Brom drop in table but will take point

On a weekend in which some Championship rivals were not in action, West Brom took fair advantage by earning a point many expected them not to obtain.

Especially having been one down inside the opening 10 minutes, Tony Mowbray and the Baggies will be happy enough to hold the side at the summit to a share of the spoils.

With Coventry City having beaten Oxford United 3-2 at the Kassam Stadium, Frank Lampard’s men do move above Albion who drop into sixth, but remain very much in a strong position.

Bristol City are the nearest side behind West Brom still to have a game in hand, but with a three-point gap and an inferior goal difference, they would need one heck of a swing to move above Mowbray’s troops in their catch-up fixture.

With the most draws in the league this season (16), the Baggies will be more content with the weekend’s all-square finish than many previous results, and next host QPR at The Hawthorns (8 March).