Looking to make progress after a season of consolidation, the Tigers began their second season in the Championship with a testing trip to face West Brom, a side fancied by many to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking following relegation in 2005/06.

Most clubs dropping out of the top tier find keeping hold of their best players nearly impossible as the stark reality of reduced television revenue and a big wage bill hits home and Premier League vultures hover ready to snaffle players eager to continue playing at the highest level. This hasn’t been the case at West Brom however, still at the Hawthorns are Jonathan Greening, Zoltan Gera, Curtis Davies and Nathan Ellington, plus they’ve strengthened by bringing in potato faced striker John Hartson from Celtic, the influential Nigel Quashie from Southampton and Chris Perry from Charlton. Manchester United are trying to prise away Polish keeper Tomasz Kuszczak but even if they do that won’t diminish the Baggies who started with Swiss international Pascal Zuberbuhler in nets.

A tough test indeed then for City, kicking off the Phil Parkinson era by fielding Myhill; Dawson, Delaney (capt.), Turner, Ricketts; Elliott, Welsh, Marney, Fagan; Duffy and the Beast.

The Tigers, looking resplendent in their new kit, started the game attacking the home end with the 2,500 strong Tiger Nation in good voice behind them. It was a frenetic opening period, Dawson swung a free kick in from near the right corner flag but the WBA keeper, identified as ‘Zubi’ on his shirt palmed it away and the home side countered with the sprightly Magyar Gera sprinting some 50 yards down our left flank unhindered and after he passed a shot on goal was charged down by Turner. Shortly after a cross from Greening was met by head of Gera who forced a good parried save from Myhill, Delaney span to hook the ball away.

City’s fans insisted we are the greatest team the world has ever seen but the energetic opening period suggested that assumption would be queried today. Not to say that it was all West Brom though, Duffy won a corner that was headed away by Harston, Ricketts put the ball back into ‘the mixer’ but Elliott was beaten to the ball by a defender.

The home fans weren’t making much noise, failing to be roused by Gera’s technique and trickery, he was causing us bother and his ball in was headed goalward and Bo reacted well to push the ball onto the post before Turner walloped the ball away. Ellington turned Turner inside out on our right and his centred ball found Gera unmarked but the Hungarian volleyed over wastefully. This West Brom side are very good and unsurprisingly were causing us problems at the back, especially on the right where Turner and Ricketts are still getting to know each other.

City were looking to slow things down a bit, Fagan mischievously tapped the ball away from the place City had conceded a free kick while the ref was distracted admonishing the transgressor, Ricketts was taking throw ins at a leisurely pace and on the other wing Parky swiped the ball off a ball boy to prevent WBA restarting play quickly. This slowed down West Brom’s attacking waves but couldn’t stop them, a dangerous cross from Gera was met by Hartson who beat the Beast who was marking him but the effort was wide. Gera made Elliott look daft with a drag back and his delivery was turned away by a sliding Delaney, the best of our put upon defenders so far.

Marney went in the book for an excitable but not malicious challenge but the resulting free kick was tamely hit at Myhill by the lethargic looking Ellington, the least threatening of the Baggies’ reputable forward four. A section of City’s support asked if we could play WBA every week, I don’t think they had thought that question through as we were being stretched at the back.

Marney had a good chance at the other end about 12 yards out but his shot was pulled wide left. Parkinson was an animated presence on the touchline, continually encouraging his charges and offering instruction. City fans aided his ploy to slow down the pace of the game by playing volleyball rather than let West Brom have the size 5 back to take a corner, they also noted John Hartson’s large frame.

Elliott was taken off taken off near the half hour mark, his failure to track back was giving Gera the freedom of his flank and Ryan France was sent on to deny him such liberty. City defended better after this, Turner won an aerial battle with Hartson and was growing in stature after being suckered into diving into challenges unnecessarily early on, Welsh foiled Ellington and Ricketts drew a free kick from Hartson.

Delaney hit a rasping drive sadly straight at ‘Zubi’ after an elaborate free kick routine failed to test him, and Welsh had a long range effort also but it was similarly straight at the netman. City looked more resolute at the back now and contained WBA until the ref blew for the interval.

This came as a relief to the travelling contingent, who had watched as City were under the cosh for much of the opening 45, we could arguably have gone in 2-0 down without having caused the home side that many problems. There were some positives though, most notably City’s attitude. To put this into context you have to look back to City’s trip to play Wolves early last season. This West Brom team are comfortably three of four times better than that Wolves XI, but at Molineux we made Wolves look like Barcelona by showing them far too much respect, looking fearful as we let them come at us. We weren’t guilty of that in this game, sure we were being tested, but tested by a very good side featuring undoubted Premiership quality players. For Wolves only Joleon Lescott was genuinely outstanding whereas today Gera, Greening and Hartson were all impressing.

The second half got under way and City, looking rejuvenated by a rest and a team talk started the better side, enjoying a near fifteen minute spell of dominance. A Ricketts ball from the right clipped the post and Davies reacted quicker than Marney as the ex-Spurs man tried to put in the rebound. Our best chance yet came when Fagan delivered a deep cross that Turner headed back across the face of goal to Duffy who should have scored, instead he headed over. Parkin released France but his cross couldn’t find Duffy and was clutched by ‘Zubi’ who set a counter attack in motion. Quashie chipped the ball into the box, Delaney couldn’t get his head to it and Hartson lobbed the ball over an advancing Myhill. 57 mins, 1-0 West Brom.

City had an immediate chance to equalise when Duffy was put through but he lashed the ball over. This was the second time Duffy had blown a gilt edged chance to score and the claims in the HDM last week that he was a 20 goal a season striker looked hollow indeed. Nothing highlighted the gulf between these two sides more than a comparison of Hartson and Duffy.

Harston saw yellow for going through Dawson on the touchline. Marney released Fagan on the right (our left) but he elected not to run into the box and the move floundered. Burgess came on for Parkin who played hurt, but he wasn’t being replaced because of a knock, he’d just not imposed himself on West Brom’s defence and was tiring. The Beast’s prevarication allowed everyone else to take a drink. It was hard to see how Burgess was going to change things really.

West Brom were in cruise mode now, Ellington had an effort blocked by Turner before Duffy went down clutching his calves allowing another round of rehydration reminiscent of Eire games at USA ’94, minus the expletive issuing Irish striker, though one of our Irishmen, Delaney, showed a deft touch to control a bottle that had been hoyed at him from the sidelines. Duffy was withdrawn for Andrews and optimism of an equaliser was rapidly diminishing. Gera came off for West Brom, he’d run amok in the first third of the game until France shored up that flank, Darren Carter took the Hungarians place, a move designed to preserve the 1-0 lead. Parkinson gave us a wave on request.

John Welsh was having a great second half and a delicious ball sent Fagan racing down the wing, he chose to ignore Burgess’ laboured run and was dispossessed. 3 minutes remaining and WBA sent on Japanese international Junichi Inamoto who was involved in the games moment of true controversy. He shoved John Welsh as the City man sought to hit home a cross and took him off his feet, a certain penalty, but the ref wasn’t having any of it. Welsh was carded for his protestations and some fucktard ran on the pitch to make his thoughts known to the ref in person but Craig Fagan intervened, doing a far better job than the bumbling stewards who fell over as they tried to get the invader off the pitch.

City’s players lost all focus and we were punished for it. Delaney conceded a free kick on the right wing and was dozing when is taken, the ball was squared to Hartson in the box and he side footed the ball beyond Bo to guarantee all three points for the home side. 90 minutes, West Brom 2-0.

It was soon all over and many Tiger Nationals seethed with perceived injustice at the penalty decision though to be fair the scoreline was a proper reflection of the two sides’ abilities. City’s attitude was good throughout the game and the cautious approach that typified Peter Taylor’s reign has been done away with. It’s hard to tell what lies ahead for the Tigers this season based on this game, no other side in this division have the pool of talent available to Bryan Robson and we won’t be up against sides with at least five players clearly able to cut it at Premiership level often. Parkinson brought the players to the away end after the game and was heartily cheered, he’ll need a bit of time to assess the squad and get them playing how he wants and he’ll get it if City play with the fearlessness and positive attitude they displayed today. We may need to bring in another forward, Duffy is a bit weak and not a clinical finisher, Burgess is unlikely to have the impact he had in Division Three in the Championship and we’ve just offloaded Billy Paynter. McPhee may fit the bill but we’ll probably still need another attacking body in what is no longer called ‘the building’. Still, many positives can be taken from this game and we can go into Tuesday’s game with Barnsley with no trepidation. (LM)