It is important that we get back on a good run

Last updated : 19 November 2006 By Tony Scholes
The Baggies had gone five league and cup games without a win since a 3-0 victory over local rivals Wolves in Mowbray's first game in charge, but according to reports have been unfortunate and not getting the results their performances merited.

“We've finally got what we deserved,” said a happy Mowbray after this win against the Clarets. “I've been sitting here for the last few weeks saying we didn't get what we deserved but I felt we did today.

“In the first half we created chances and today they went in, as opposed to us creating chances and hitting the woodwork [they hit the woodwork four times in last week's 1-0 home defeat against Norwich] or the keeper making saves, which is what's been happening in previous games.”

He saw the opening few minutes as vital to their success. “When you get off to a start like that, with two goals in the opening seven minutes, you have got a fair chance of winning the football match, and I thought in the second half we turned in a professional performance.

“We kept the ball for spells and got the job done against, and you only need look at the statistics, a Burnley team who had only lost one in eight on the road and had hardly conceded a goal in that spell.

“For forty-five minutes we created and could have scored a few more goals and I'm not so sure many teams in this league could have done that. It's what I know our team is capable of and today we got a decent result against a difficult team to play against.”

Mowbray believe there was a confident dressing room ahead of the game. “I sensed a very determined dressing room and I think the team felt they hadn't got their rewards over the last couple of weeks. The players have been focused and I have always been very confident we were going to start winning football matches.

“In this league it doesn't matter whether you are playing at home or away, we've got good footballers who can spread the pitch out, can pass the ball and create chances against anyone in this league. Hopefully the fine details of clean sheets, competing every week and the ability we have got in our squad will come out on top.

“This is an extremely difficult league and teams like Burnley make it hard for you to actually get the ball down and play it week in, week out. Thankfully in the first half of this game we managed to overcome that and got the result we wanted.”

After the incredible rantings of Dave Jones last week it was good to see both managers giving honest appraisals of the game and Burnley boss Steve Cotterill was full of praise for West Brom. “Make no bones about it,” he said, “West Brom have got the best collective group of players in this division by a mile and sometimes you cannot always stop that quality coming through.

“Nothing surprised us really, we know they have good players. But we started the game poorly and got caught out with something we've worked on and talked about this week. That's the disappointing thing because we knew where Jason Koumas would be on the pitch and yet we haven't dealt with it.

“They have scored two early goals, yet for the rest of the first half we were every bit as good as them and Steve Jones was probably the liveliest player on the pitch. If you had come into the game ten minutes late, I'm not so sure you could have picked out which team was 2-0 up. And, had one of our efforts gone in then it could have been a lot different.

“Then we conceded another goal at probably the second worst time to concede, and from our own corner, and after that it was always going to be an uphill struggle.”

Looking at his team's performance he added: “We probably played the game with just one defender today [Jon Harley], and he ended up going off injured, and with Chris McCann and Steve Jones who were both excellent. That though is not enough when you come to places like West Brom.

“This was always going to be a tough fixture at the most difficult time of the season, but we have gone into it as a team who scores goals and with the best defensive away record in the Championship and we've done neither.

“November is a tough month, and it is important now that we try to get back on a good run as soon as possible. We have a good spirit, and a good bunch of lads, and we have to move on to next week.”