Bury 0 West Brom 2: Chris Lepkowski's big match verdict
Aug 12 2009 by Chris Lepkowski
Reuben Reid, though more peripheral than other players last night, showed great pace when running with the ball. He too did himself no harm.
Fellow debutant Joe Mattock was rarely tested so his contribution was less obvious.
It was a game which Albion dominated throughout during the first-half. Roberto Di Matteo's men could easily have found themselves more goals ahead.
Zuiverloon almost doubled the lead in the 14th minute. Beattie's long ball for Reid found the ex-Rotherham man in space. He passed it back for Zuiverloon, who smashed his drive just over.
Cox was denied his first-ever Albion goal three minutes when Beattie powered past several Bury defenders only to see his shot parried by Brown. Cox was ideally placed to tap the ball over the line, but was flagged for offside by the linesman.
What could have been a Bury equaliser turned into Albion's next goal in a 20second period after 25 minutes. Ryan Lowe's header was cut out by Leon Barnett. Albion broke quickly, with Beattie's stinging cross being turned in by Michael Jones.
Just 28 seconds into the second-half Reuben Reid almost made it 3-0. Racing towards the goal his speculative shot dipped just over Brown's crossbar.
By then Albion had peaked.
Barnett allowed a long-ball to bounce over his head for Ryan Lowe to run onto. Facing an acute angle, the Bury man was unable to beat Kiely.
Late on Albion were playing out time and Bury were trying to find a way back into the game, mainly through their aerial threat at set-pieces - the only time Albion generally looked vulnerable. They failed, Albion succeeded and Di Matteo can look back on his first win as Albion boss.
BURY: (4-4-2) Brown, Scott, Futcher, Sodje, Buchanan, Racchi (Johnson 61), Dawson, Barry-Murphy (Baker 55), Jones, Carlton (Rouse 30), Lowe. Subs: Creswell, Belford, Patel.
ALBION: (4-4-2) Kiely 7, Zuiverloon 6, Barnett 5, Olsson 6, Mattock 6, Dorrans 8*, Teixeira 7, Martis 7, Reid 7, Beattie 8, Cox 6 (Wood 79). Not used: Greening, Carson, Borja, Moore, Samuels, Knight.
REFEREE: R Shoebridge (Derbyshire).
ATTENDANCE: 3,077 (644 visitors)
