Key occasions
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15 minutes: Aribo wriggles free within the centre and releases the on-running Walker-Peters from proper wing-back. He stands up Townsend and arrows a shot that runs throughout the face of purpose, through a deflection.
A number of corners right here for Saints.
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13 minutes: West Brom’s urgent has been efficient thus far, however Southampton are pass-masters and proceed Martin’s strict coverage of taking part in out of bother it doesn’t matter what the state of affairs.
It’s bringing about some bushy moments on the again.
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10 minutes: Smallbone wins Saints a nook – their first foray ahead of the afternoon. Manning almost makes a multitude of it earlier than successful a second set piece.
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9 minutes: Russell Martin, trying somewhat bon stylish in a navy blue t-shirt and resembling the proprietor of recently-opened wine bar, can also be clapping and waving, in a much more panicked trend than his reverse quantity.
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7 minutes: Carlos Corberán is matching his staff’s depth on the sidelines, waving his arms in all instructions because the West Brom seige on Southampton’s purpose continues. The guests haven’t had a kick but.
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5 minutes: There’s nothing leggy or weary about the best way West Brom have began this sport. They’re stuffed with depth, buoyed by a rowdy Hawthorns crowd. Harwood-Bellis has made a couple of telling interventions on the again for Saints already.
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3 minutes: Tom Fellows cuts in from the left, spins his man, after which goes down amid halfhearted appeals for an Albion penalty. It seems like Saints are in a again three/5, with Walker-Peters and Manning the wingbacks, being pushed again in the meanwhile.
A Baggies’ nook is delivered nicely by Johnston and never cleared by Southampton. The hosts are on high early doorways.
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1 minutes: I can’t start to let you know how late this sport kicked off. Why is that taking place?
Oh nicely, no time to get indignant, West Brom are on the entrance foot, driving ahead by means of Mikey Johnston and Thomas-Asante.
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KICK OFF
We’re off and working.
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“All of the stress is on Southampton,” says the oracle of punditry, Troy Deeney. Apparently he scored an vital purpose within the playoffs as soon as upon a time? Who knew?
As kick-off approaches, you marvel how a lot a mid-afternoon sport within the warmth and the solar will affect the groups. Vitality appeared to sap fairly rapidly from Norwich and Leeds earlier.
The second leg is a night sport, on Friday evening.
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Only a nice image, this. Boiler Man rides once more. There’s no scarcity of playoff fever round The Hawthorns this afternoon.
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Take observe, whoeverwinstheplayoffs.
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It’s ended 0-0 at Carrow Highway. Not a traditional by any means. However that can have little to no bearing on proceedings over within the west midlands, because the gamers emerge down the tunnel after the warmups.
In reality, the lacklustre nature of Norwich and Leeds’ performances could even spur on these two units of gamers. We’re virtually able to roll.
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Up to date at 08.59 EDT
Southampton did the double over West Brom within the common season, successful 2-0 at The Hawthorns in February. Each goalscorers from that sport – Fraser and Brooks – are on the bench right now.
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So… bear in mind once I mentioned the Championship playoffs had been all the time thrilling and packed stuffed with motion? Appears like Norwich v Leeds has been extra of a sluggish burner. Nonetheless 0-0 going into the ultimate levels. Our MBM has you coated.
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Some evaluation of the staff information now and you’ll battle to see two units of substitutes stronger than these, in Championship phrases.
West Brom’s replacements have loads of Premier League pedigree and a powerful whiff of 2016 about them, whereas Saints with the ability to boast Ryan Fraser, David Brooks and Joe Rothwell on their bench is frankly outrageous.
That’s to not decry the flexibility of any of the starters. Adam Armstrong has been one of many Championship’s greatest gamers this season, though the absence of Che Adams is a blow – Martin mentioned Southampton are managing the striker’s health by means of these playoffs. You think Grady Diangana must step up if West Brom are to progress to Wembley; he’s the inventive hub of Carlos Corberán’s facet.
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Group information
West Brom: Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Kipré, Townsend; Mowatt, Yoksulu; Fellows, Diangana, Johnston; Thomas-Asante
Subs: Griffiths, Ajayi, Wallace, Phillips, Chalobah, Weimann, Swift, Attain, M’Vila.
Southampton: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Smallbone, Downes, Aribo; Manning, Mara, Armstrong
Subs: Lumley, Stewart, Bree, Rothwell, Sulemana, Edozie, Charles, Fraser, Brooks
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Preamble
Welcome! The denouement to the Premier League is trying more and more predictable so, as traditional, the Soccer League playoffs are the place to search for nail-biting end-of-season drama. We’ve already had it in spades down the leagues, now the second tier takes centre-stage.
A whopping 12 factors separated West Brom and Southampton within the remaining Championship standings after 46 video games, however it could be foolhardy to recommend Saints are nailed-on for a spot within the remaining. Just about something might occur in these two legs, the primary of which takes place at The Hawthorns on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Count on the Baggies’ followers, Boiler Man in tow, to make a racket right now and make issues robust for Russell Martin’s Southampton. There’s most likely a joke about issues boiling over but it surely’s evading me …
Kick off is at 2.15pm BST.
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