Tony Mowbray: Badge of honour is the secret of West Bromwich Albion success

Apr 21 2008

TONY Mowbray believes the team spirit of his Albion players has carried them through the final weeks of the season.

The Baggies are mathematically just two points away from promotion but, more than likely, one point should do the trick due to their superior goal difference.

They will be up before next Monday's game against Southampton if Hull fail to beat Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Since losing to Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final, Albion have won three games and drawn once.

Mowbray, whose side beat Norwich on Saturday, paid tribute to his players, who have played half-a-dozen games in just under three weeks.

"I talk about teams wearing a badge of honour on their sleeves sometimes and this team have done that," said Mowbray.

"My words in a dressing room before a game don't mean anything when they cross the line.

"It's about the camaraderie, the trust, the belief in each other and their abilities and that's been in evidence over the last 18 days and six games.

"It's been a fantastic achievement to put a performance like that against a Norwich City fighting for their lives.

"It was a very different performance on Saturday - there was one of style and real quality for half-an-hour and one of real determination and desire at the death to make sure we won the match."

Four points from Albion's final two games will be enough to clinch the Championship title but Mowbray is not looking beyond this weekend's fixtures.

"I've got both eyes on trying to get that extra point to get us into the Premiership and once we do that, if we can do that, then we'll think about things beyond that," he added.

"People may say you need this many points for winning the league but our goal for now is to finish in the top two."

Asked about the possible scenario of being promoted before next Monday's televised game against Southampton, Mowbray continued: "If that's the scenario then that'll be fantastic and we will go and play Southampton and do our best to make it a celebratory evening.

"I am sitting here thinking that we must not lose a football match to get the point we need to enjoy the occasion. We still have work to do."