Huddersfield 0, West Brom 2: Chris Lepkowski's big match verdict
Jan 4 2010 by Christopher Lepkowski, Birmingham Mail
THE romance of the FA Cup may be gone but you can’t blame Graham Dorrans for showing the competition some love.
Low attendances, rested players, freezing temperatures – we’re supposed to overlook all of this and praise the Lord that the FA Cup was invented. It gets a raw deal, sadly.
Times have changed. Managers have priorities elsewhere, players try to motivate themselves knowing they’re in the side because it’s not an ‘important’ league game, fans do their best to stay interested.
But Dorrans grabbed this FA Cup third-round tie by the neck and gave it a good jolt back to life.
The Baggies were not at their best. It’s just as well Dorrans was.
It was, to use a cliché, a professional job. Efficient and clinical.
The first half was dismal. Both sides lacked finesse, impact, precision or impetus.
Post-interval it was much improved, with the teams adjusting to try and bring some life to a sub-standard football match, played in sub-zero temperatures.
Huddersfield’s decision to bring off striker Lee Novak and replace him with midfielder Tom Clarke changed the dynamics of the game.
Town started to dominate but for all their huff, puff and endeavour, they simply lacked the quality. Albion defended strongly with all four of the backline, along with Scott Carson, having few problems coping with Town’s movement and toil.
It was Albion who were to benefit. Robert Koren replaced Filipe Teixeira and that added fire to Albion’s midfield, which swung it back into the visitors’ favour.
They countered with menace and purpose. It was a typical Albion performance.
Dorrans scored when he made the most of an excellent four-man move.
Koren found Roman Bednar on the edge of the Albion box and he spotted Chris Brunt’s run through the centre.
