Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between West Bromwich Albion and Plymouth Argyle at The Hawthorns on Saturday | Josh Maja seals a narrow win for the Baggies as they stay top of the table.
Saturday 21 September 2024 18:35, UK
Wayne Rooney was dealt a reality check as his Plymouth side fell to a 1-0 defeat away to West Brom.
The win did not come easy for Carlos Corberan's side, who were frustrated after thrice being denied by the post in the first half.
A week after a memorable victory at home to high-flying Sunderland, Rooney's side were reminded of their poor start to the season - despite putting in a strong showing against the unbeaten league leaders.
The hosts almost got off to a perfect start as Karlan Grant broke into the box and played a simple ball across to Josh Maja but, after taking a bobble, the Nigerian's effort whistled just beyond the far post.
After riding their luck at times to keep the score level, Argyle had their first significant chance in the 20th minute, but Ryan Hardie failed to keep his headed effort on target after a powerful Ibrahim Cissoko cross.
Albion immediately came close to scoring at the other end, when Grant cut across the box and beat Kornel Szucs to tee up a shot - a curling effort which was denied by the far post.
Corberan's side were again denied by a post 10 minutes later when Alex Mowatt sent an ambitious effort goal-wards, with only the far post keeping the score goalless.
The Baggies' frustrations were compounded in the 32nd minute when John Swift's curling effort from range caught the wrong side of the far post.
The Baggies relied on Alex Palmer in the closing stages of the half as Darko Gyabi forced him into a good save, while Cissoko's follow-up effort ended up in the side netting.
The hosts thought that they had found the breakthrough when Maja had the ball in the net seconds before half-time, but the flag was immediately raised - ensuring a level scoreline at the break.
Plymouth's start to the second half was a far cry from their first-half showing, as they put the hosts under immediate pressure, and carved more than their fair share of chances - though an opening goal eluded them.
Corberan's side survived the onslaught and, in the 62nd minute, took the lead. Uros Racic played an inch-perfect cross towards the goalmouth, where Maja was waiting to tap in from point-blank range.
A flurry of late Argyle chances proved inconsequential as the Baggies held on to maintain their one-goal advantage - a win which sees them remain top of the Championship.
West Brom's Carlos Corberan:
"[It was] one win based on a massive level of commitment and desire. At the end of the game the resilience of this group of players, they deserved to win in a very challenging game.
"If we don't fight a lot, giving our best, it's impossible to achieve what you want to achieve.
"Sometimes you need to insist, insist, insist, and insist until you achieve what you want to achieve. We would like to be winning three or four nil in 10 minutes, but this is not football and this is not the Champions League. So you need to be ready to compete in the level of the Championship, [and meet] the demands of the Champions League."
Plymouth's Wayne Rooney:
"I think it was a close game. We knew it was going to be a difficult game. West Brom are a very experienced team, so we had to, firstly, make sure we stayed in the game.
"I thought we did that well, and then I think confidence grew, and we started taking the ball away from West Brom at good times.
"I felt we started really well [in the] second half and probably conceded a little bit against the run of play. And then for five, 10 minutes, we struggled to get back in the game.
"So [I am] disappointed with the result, but there were a lot of positives for us."
