West Bromwich Albion secured Championship safety with a hard-fought goalless draw against promotion-chasing Ipswich Town at The Hawthorns, overcoming a two-point deduction imposed earlier in the week.
Match Overview
James Morrison's side needed just a point from their final home fixture to guarantee another season in the second tier, and they delivered with a resilient display against a strong Ipswich outfit. The result extended Albion's unbeaten run to 10 matches and ensured the club's status in the Championship despite Friday's disciplinary ruling.
The Baggies were well worthy of their share of the spoils against the Suffolk visitors, who climbed back into second place in the table with the point. Albion might have completed the job earlier in the week, but a two-day hearing determined a breach of profit and sustainability rules, resulting in a two-point deduction that left their fate uncertain.
However, the club vowed to get the job done on the pitch, and they did just that with another fine display against strong opposition. Albion can now look forward to another season in the Championship, with Morrison having done everything possible to land the head coach role on a full-time basis.
First Half Action
The atmosphere at The Hawthorns reached boiling point before kick-off, with a booming rendition of The Liquidator followed by a volley of verbal abuse aimed at the EFL following Friday's outcome. Morrison's motivation rang in the ears of his players as they stormed out of the traps, with recalled Aune Heggebo, Daryl Dike, and Jayson Molumby pressing into the away red shirts.
Three of Ipswich's back four were former Albion players, and centre-back pairing Dara O'Shea and Cedric Kipre had one or two wobbles in possession early on, drawing jeers from the Smethwick End. Current Baggies defender Nat Phillips seemed determined to win the game on his own in the first period, heading at Christian Walton with the contest's first opening before another flew over. Later in the first half, Phillips drew another save from Walton with a header from 12 yards after a move with the lively Danny Imray, started by the centre-back.
Ipswich gradually settled, but the hosts were solid as George Campbell and Phillips complemented each other well. The Baggies might have taken the lead midway through the first half through Dike's glorious opening. The frontman worked the chance himself, hassling and harrying former colleague Kipre, who waited for Walton, who never came. Dike was in on goal, in the box, slightly left, but denied by the sprawling goalkeeper.
Ipswich's best moment of the first half came through isolated Spanish striker Ivan Azon, who got behind Campbell but whose attempted lob over the stranded Max O'Leary didn't even reach the far corner flag. There was a lull for 10 minutes after half an hour, in which Ipswich's Azon helped a long way over on the stretch.
Second Half Drama
But the Baggies clicked back into gear and by the end of the half did not want the interval. Heggebo skewed inches wide of the post with his left foot on the spin while backpedalling, an awkward chance but a clear one, with the ball spinning six inches off target. Albion kept coming, and skipper Alex Mowatt was denied by Walton to the keeper's right after a neat give-and-go on the edge of the box.
If half-time threatened to ruin momentum, the hosts needn't have worried. Heggebo glanced a good header narrowly wide of the upright from an Isaac Price corner shortly after the restart. Morrison's men purred, particularly down the right through livewire loanee Imray, and his low cross fed Dike for a glorious opening. From the penalty spot, the American's first-time strike was pawed away by the busy Walton.
McKenna's men responded. A long Furlong throw-in brought back memories, and Ipswich helped it on in a crowded box for the tricky Jack Clarke to totally miscue from the corner of the six-yard box. Clarke had a better go after the hour after a sharp run, but sliced wide of the post. A short while after, Furlong worked space on the right of the box, but O'Leary held his low strike.
A flashpoint arrived with 20 minutes left as, for a split second, Ipswich thought they led through Kipre. Substitute Jayden Philogene's strike from 25 yards was spilled loosely by O'Leary, and Kipre turned home. The assistant's flag was raised immediately and, as replays confirmed, correctly. Ipswich had come on strong, as might have been expected. O'Shea failed to turn home a free-kick with 10 minutes left as Phillips made yet another clearance. The Tractor Boys forced several corners but were wasteful, typified by Philogene rifling over from 18 yards.
Conclusion
Albion supporters had bitten fingernails but raised decibel levels again in the closing stages as the finish line closed in. The job was complete after five uneventful minutes of stoppage time as a loud roar of relief filled the Black Country sky.
Albion (4-4-2): O'Leary; Imray, Phillips, Campbell, Styles; Molumby, Mowatt (c) (Grant, 80), Diakite, Price; Dike (Maja, 71), Heggebo (Bany, 88). Subs not used: Griffiths (gk), Gilchrist, Taylor, Jimoh-Aloba, Bostock, Bany, Grant, Maja, Sule.
Ipswich (4-2-3-1): Walton; Furlong, O'Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves; Matusiwa, Taylor; McAteer (Burns, 75), Mehmeti (Nunez, 65), Clarke (Philogene, 65); Azon (Hirst, 75). Subs not used: Palmer (gk), Neil, Cajuste, Johnson, Akpom.
Referee: Matthew Donohue
