Derby County 2, Albion 2
How can you knock a team top of the table and still unbeaten a fortnight from Christmas?
A team that will equal the club record in all competitions of 17 matches undefeated if they do not lose at QPR tomorrow night.
A team that equalled two club away records, 11 unbeaten in the League including last season, ten in a single season, with the draw at Derby.
Realistically, it is almost impossible to fault Chris Hughton's side.
Except that they would be in even better shape if they were doing a better job of retaining leads on their travels.
Asking for too much? Perhaps but even when you are performing to extraordinary levels there is always room for improvement.
The higher you set the bar the more chance there is still of satisfaction if falling short.
The number of points Albion have let slip from a position of supremacy away from the Amex are mounting at an even more rapid rate than the injuries - an inhibiting list which has now been extended further with the addition of Solly March.
They have now led and ending up drawing five matches, the pattern of the latest stalemate following previous examples at Huddersfield, Bolton, Reading and Burnley.
It has become an habitual shortcoming. Advantages were also relinquished at Ipswich, Fulham and Leeds on the way to victories.
There is a balance to be considered. Albion have come from behind on occasions on home soil.
It is more difficult to stay in front away from home, where less possession and more pressure to resist are inevitable factors in a division as congested and competitive as the Championship.
The nagging fear is how damaging the accumulated losses of three points turning into one could be to staying ahead of the rest, or finishing runners-up, come the final reckoning.
Particularly when, as was the case at Derby, the damage was primarily self-inflicted.
It is indicative of the remarkable progress Albion have made under Hughton this season that the post-match mood in the camp was one of disappointment at not inflicting defeat on a close pursuer in rude health themselves.
Derby went into the match on a run of five straight wins at the iPro Stadium and over five-and-a-half-hours without conceding a goal.
Albion breached the meanest defence in the division twice in fine style to become the only side to score two against them on their own patch other than Leeds and Wolves.
The galling aspect was the manner of the two Albion conceded, especially the second late penalty equaliser, which should have been prevented at source.
It was a shame, because their game management was otherwise good. They rattled Derby by getting their noses in front, generally kept them at arms length and, having regained the initiative, looked like seeing it out.
Hughton, having already decided to restore Tomer Hemed to the starting line-up, spent the build-up pondering whether James Wilson or Bobby Zamora should partner the industrious Israeli.
Zamora, who has just become a dad again, is almost old enough to be a parent to Wilson. With further challenges looming at his former club QPR tomorrow night and at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday, Hughton's decision to go with Wilson's fresher legs was vindicated by the on-loan Manchester United prospect's expertly taken second goal in as many starts midway through the first half which put Albion in the ascendency.
Wilson guided in a near-post volley from Jamie Murphy's left-wing cross after the earlier loss of March in innocuous circumstances.
The England under-21 winger went down clutching his right knee when clipped. He recovered to return to the fray, only for the problem to recur and for him to exit permanently this time on a stretcher.
Albion appeared destined to maintain their cushion through to half-time with relative comfort until Bradley Johnson climbed majestically to power in a header beyond the far post from a corner by Jacob Butterfield so deep that it seemed to be overhit.
Perhaps the defence thought so too, because they were caught out by it.
It is always disappointing to concede from a set play, although, as Hughton observed: "There are some teams that do it very well. Bradley Johnson is excellent at what he does. You can have your roles and responsibilities but sometimes you're going to get done.
"You don't apportion any blame but that's what got them back in the game. The timing of when they scored their first goal should have given them a lift, coming out in the second half, and you see that many times but we have got really good character in the team."
Albion intermittently threatened a second goal on the counter-attack throughout and when it arrived 15 minutes from time it was a triumph for teamwork.
Beram Kayal won possession in midfield. Wilson and Hemed played a part in the build-up and Dale Stephens set up March's replacement, Rajiv van La Parra, for a rasping finish into the roof of the net.
The Dutchman on loan from Wolves had, in truth, been pretty poor up to that point, but there is no doubting his talent and he will benefit from the run in the side he may well get now in March's absence.
Chris Martin's rescuing spot-kick for Derby two minutes from time, his seventh goal in six appearances against Albion, was queried by Hughton.
He accepted Gordon Greer "did impede" Johnny Russell as the substitute crossed following a corner but added: "I'm not sure there was too much contact. It was a very harsh decision at that stage of the game."
The real crime was conceding the corner in the first place. It came via an exceptional last-ditch tackle by the impressive Lewis Dunk to deny Tom Ince with the goal gaping after a dreadfully short backpass by sub Rohan Ince which put the otherwise largely untroubled David Stockdale and his defence in unnecessary trouble.
There was nothing wrong with Hughton's decision to introduce Ince for Hemed, as he has before, with Derby beginning to apply desperate pressure but it was a bad and ultimately expensive error by the young defensive midfielder.
Promotions can be won and lost by such fine margins. Albion will hopefully not be left reflecting in May on the away points that got away.
Original article
How can you knock a team top of the table and still unbeaten a fortnight from Christmas?
A team that will equal the club record in all competitions of 17 matches undefeated if they do not lose at QPR tomorrow night.
A team that equalled two club away records, 11 unbeaten in the League including last season, ten in a single season, with the draw at Derby.
Realistically, it is almost impossible to fault Chris Hughton's side.
Except that they would be in even better shape if they were doing a better job of retaining leads on their travels.
Asking for too much? Perhaps but even when you are performing to extraordinary levels there is always room for improvement.
The higher you set the bar the more chance there is still of satisfaction if falling short.
The number of points Albion have let slip from a position of supremacy away from the Amex are mounting at an even more rapid rate than the injuries - an inhibiting list which has now been extended further with the addition of Solly March.
They have now led and ending up drawing five matches, the pattern of the latest stalemate following previous examples at Huddersfield, Bolton, Reading and Burnley.
It has become an habitual shortcoming. Advantages were also relinquished at Ipswich, Fulham and Leeds on the way to victories.
There is a balance to be considered. Albion have come from behind on occasions on home soil.
It is more difficult to stay in front away from home, where less possession and more pressure to resist are inevitable factors in a division as congested and competitive as the Championship.
The nagging fear is how damaging the accumulated losses of three points turning into one could be to staying ahead of the rest, or finishing runners-up, come the final reckoning.
Particularly when, as was the case at Derby, the damage was primarily self-inflicted.
It is indicative of the remarkable progress Albion have made under Hughton this season that the post-match mood in the camp was one of disappointment at not inflicting defeat on a close pursuer in rude health themselves.
Derby went into the match on a run of five straight wins at the iPro Stadium and over five-and-a-half-hours without conceding a goal.
Albion breached the meanest defence in the division twice in fine style to become the only side to score two against them on their own patch other than Leeds and Wolves.
The galling aspect was the manner of the two Albion conceded, especially the second late penalty equaliser, which should have been prevented at source.
It was a shame, because their game management was otherwise good. They rattled Derby by getting their noses in front, generally kept them at arms length and, having regained the initiative, looked like seeing it out.
Hughton, having already decided to restore Tomer Hemed to the starting line-up, spent the build-up pondering whether James Wilson or Bobby Zamora should partner the industrious Israeli.
Zamora, who has just become a dad again, is almost old enough to be a parent to Wilson. With further challenges looming at his former club QPR tomorrow night and at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday, Hughton's decision to go with Wilson's fresher legs was vindicated by the on-loan Manchester United prospect's expertly taken second goal in as many starts midway through the first half which put Albion in the ascendency.
Wilson guided in a near-post volley from Jamie Murphy's left-wing cross after the earlier loss of March in innocuous circumstances.
The England under-21 winger went down clutching his right knee when clipped. He recovered to return to the fray, only for the problem to recur and for him to exit permanently this time on a stretcher.
Albion appeared destined to maintain their cushion through to half-time with relative comfort until Bradley Johnson climbed majestically to power in a header beyond the far post from a corner by Jacob Butterfield so deep that it seemed to be overhit.
Perhaps the defence thought so too, because they were caught out by it.
It is always disappointing to concede from a set play, although, as Hughton observed: "There are some teams that do it very well. Bradley Johnson is excellent at what he does. You can have your roles and responsibilities but sometimes you're going to get done.
"You don't apportion any blame but that's what got them back in the game. The timing of when they scored their first goal should have given them a lift, coming out in the second half, and you see that many times but we have got really good character in the team."
Albion intermittently threatened a second goal on the counter-attack throughout and when it arrived 15 minutes from time it was a triumph for teamwork.
Beram Kayal won possession in midfield. Wilson and Hemed played a part in the build-up and Dale Stephens set up March's replacement, Rajiv van La Parra, for a rasping finish into the roof of the net.
The Dutchman on loan from Wolves had, in truth, been pretty poor up to that point, but there is no doubting his talent and he will benefit from the run in the side he may well get now in March's absence.
Chris Martin's rescuing spot-kick for Derby two minutes from time, his seventh goal in six appearances against Albion, was queried by Hughton.
He accepted Gordon Greer "did impede" Johnny Russell as the substitute crossed following a corner but added: "I'm not sure there was too much contact. It was a very harsh decision at that stage of the game."
The real crime was conceding the corner in the first place. It came via an exceptional last-ditch tackle by the impressive Lewis Dunk to deny Tom Ince with the goal gaping after a dreadfully short backpass by sub Rohan Ince which put the otherwise largely untroubled David Stockdale and his defence in unnecessary trouble.
There was nothing wrong with Hughton's decision to introduce Ince for Hemed, as he has before, with Derby beginning to apply desperate pressure but it was a bad and ultimately expensive error by the young defensive midfielder.
Promotions can be won and lost by such fine margins. Albion will hopefully not be left reflecting in May on the away points that got away.
Original article