Albion lose crunch encounter

The Baggies lost a vital relegation match at home to Newcastle after a series of awful defensive errors gave the team too much of a mountain to climb.

With three goals in the first ten minutes the match was always going to be lively, but the Albion made far too many basic errors to gain any points from what was almost a 'must-win' game in the fight to stay in the Premiership.

The focus before the game was on Joe Kinnear, who was admitted to hospital not feeling well. However, whoever had been in charge of the Magpies on Saturday did not have much of a job as the Albion conspired to beat themselves.

Fortuné lead the line on his own up front and was rewarded with a double after a solid performance, but it was at the back with both Meite and Barnett given the nod despite a marked lack of playing time in recent weeks for either, and they were to blame in some way or another for all three of the goals conceded.

Normally the eternal optimist, this result really hurts and now I am struggling to see where we get the points to stay in the top flight. With an extended gap due to Internationals and cup matches lets hope Mowbray can galvanize the troops for the last big push to try a clinch 17th place.

Carson, Hoefkens, Barnett, Meite, Robinson, Kim (Filipe Teixeira 46), Koren, Borja Valero (Moore 84), Brunt (Bednar 46), Morrison, Fortune.
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Cech, Pele, Mulumbu Harper, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Ryan Taylor, Nolan, Butt, Duff, Ameobi (Viduka 80), Lovenkrands (Xisco 90).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa, Smith, Geremi, Edgar Chris Foy (Merseyside)

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