Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox give their take as Albion beat play-off rivals Watford 2-1 at The Hawthorns.
Albion went two up in the game through Karlan Grant and Mikey Johnston, and after conceding later in the game they had to withstand pressure in stoppage time.
But they held out to remain in the play-off hunt with four games to go.
Albion went two up in the game through Karlan Grant and Mikey Johnston, and after conceding later in the game they had to withstand pressure in stoppage time.
But they held out to remain in the play-off hunt with four games to go.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Buggies fans, welcome to ExpressingStar.com
00:09My name is Jonny Dreary, I'm here with Albion correspondent Lewis Cox
00:13After Albion have got over the line, they've won by two goals to one against Watford
00:16Ended a run of three straight defeats and they are back very much in the play-off race
00:21Coxie, they needed to turn up and deliver today and they did just about
00:26They did?
00:27Yeah
00:27I thought they were better than two on winners to be honest
00:30A much deserved victory, but it should have been, as I just alluded to, it should have been more comfortable shouldn't it
00:38And maybe there's a little sort of cautionary tale there
00:41On another day they could have been punished right at the death again, let's be honest
00:45But no, they got over the line, deserved winners, good performance
00:49Created a number of chances, could and should have scored many more
00:53Obviously we'll get into it, but there were changes to the side today that were notable
00:56And ultimately, again, we can expand on attacking players
01:01I'd say for the first time in a while, but they delivered for Mowbray
01:05They stood up, you know, we've said on videos recently, haven't we?
01:08You said, you know, players grasping, you know, grasp the game, whatever
01:12And Mowbray kind of said that this week, really challenged them
01:14A bit of magic, a bit of individualism
01:17And there was no magic today in terms of 30-yard top corners
01:22But finishing, you know, they've been spurning chances, haven't they?
01:26Snatching at them, chances blocked constantly
01:28And today, clinical in two moments, enough to win 2-1
01:33Probably should have scored 4-5, let's be honest
01:35And maybe we can get into it, but Tony Mowbray also talked a bit about
01:39Just there, to me, a bit about winning a game in a different type of way
01:44With much less than 50% possession
01:47Which is different to what has been
01:49And credit Watford, because they're a, you know, pretty strong side today
01:52I thought, missing some key players, played well
01:53So yeah, all in all, a very interesting afternoon
01:57And a very positive one
01:58And one that just about keeps the top six hopes alive
02:01Yeah, well, individuals, like you said
02:03Mikey Johnston obviously got on the score sheet
02:04Tom Fowler, two assists, back to his best
02:06Will Lancer came in
02:07You know, it is interesting
02:09You know, Mowbray has talked
02:11It's almost like he's pre-empted certain things
02:13He's talked in his press conferences about
02:16You know, do I need to play two up front
02:18You know, he kind of went and did it in the last couple of games
02:21You know, he's talked about
02:22Do we need to have less possession and go more direct
02:24And I don't think I'll be more direct today
02:26But it shows that
02:26Played on the counter, didn't it?
02:28If you take those clinical moments
02:29You will win, you know, you're not going to win every game
02:32But it showed a bit of versatility
02:34And, you know, Mowbray's taken a bit of flack
02:36In recent weeks for maybe a selection
02:38And this and that
02:40It shows he knows what he's doing
02:42And, you know, he's put a side out there today
02:44That's gone and
02:45I think Mowbray deserved to win the game
02:47You know, but showed a different way to win it as well
02:50It was a big game, wasn't it, Johnny?
02:51It was a huge game
02:53It was a test of character as well
02:54You know, I, for one
02:55Absolutely sorted
02:56After Bristol City
02:58And you could argue about their character
02:59But one thing they've done
03:00They've gone and been clinical
03:01Which they haven't been in recent weeks
03:02But they've also
03:03Very easy could have been two all
03:05They've stood up
03:06They've dug in
03:07And they have showed that bottle
03:08And that resilience
03:09To go and win the game as well
03:11So there's a lot of
03:11Various different positives to them
03:13Yeah, Tony used the phrase
03:14Last chance saloon
03:15In that presser there
03:16Ironically for Watford
03:17Who started the day
03:18Just a point behind his side
03:19But I, you know, I wrote that
03:20I think I believe it was the case for Alvin
03:22Yeah, I wrote that phrase before today
03:24I can't remember where
03:25But, yeah
03:26And it was a must-win game
03:28How many times have the word must-win been used
03:31Over the last few weeks, really?
03:32And, look, Alvin Havan won
03:33What is it?
03:34Five winless before today
03:35Three straight defeats
03:36I'm trying to think when the last win was
03:38QPR here, I think
03:39Yeah
03:39Ten men's second half
03:41Before the international break
03:43So, yeah, look
03:44Selection posers today
03:46Mulumby suspended, wasn't he?
03:48From the other night
03:49We know that
03:50Diakiteng might have come in for him
03:51But he's injured
03:52Banny's been bright
03:54He might have had a start
03:55Might have been ready
03:56Mulberry hinted that
03:56He's injured
03:57Changed it around
03:59Isaac Price in a midfield two
04:00In Mowat
04:01And Lankshire's a big one, isn't he?
04:03And then
04:03I think we should
04:04Spend at least a few seconds
04:05Speaking about Lankshire, to be honest
04:07Because he was excellent
04:07Wasn't excellent
04:08He's gutted for the lad at the end, really
04:11Because three chances got away from him
04:13Certainly two
04:14Two pretty decent ones
04:15That, you know
04:16He should have took one away
04:17And it'll rule that
04:18He'll be down about that
04:19But the standing ovation he got
04:20When he came off
04:22Before Armstrong
04:22Who obviously he replaced
04:24In the starting eleven
04:24The standing ovation
04:25I think from the whole stadium
04:26Said it all
04:27And Mulberry said that to him
04:28Just there
04:29And a little exclusive snippet
04:31For video watchers
04:32He said
04:32Get yourself ready
04:33Because you're
04:34Obviously staying in the team
04:35And ready for the
04:36It's your shirt
04:37Yeah, yeah
04:37Get yourself
04:38John Homer's looking
04:39Mr Homer
04:39Come and join us, John
04:42Relief
04:43Relief
04:44From John Homer
04:45Yeah, Tony said
04:47You know, it's your shirt
04:49Get yourself ready
04:49For the next game
04:50Which is a pretty tasty one
04:52At the CBS
04:52On Good Friday
04:55Isn't it
04:55And obviously Coventry
04:56Played before then
04:57Don't they
04:57On Monday night
04:58They're getting in
04:59And we kind of
05:00Have to wait around
05:01Till Monday night
05:02Don't we
05:02To know what
05:03The lay of the land is
05:05But at least
05:05Albion did their
05:06Bit of the bargain
05:06Which, you know
05:07Mulberry referenced it
05:09In there
05:09As he said
05:10For the last week or two
05:12You know
05:12These games we've lost
05:13He feels
05:15We deserve to win them
05:16Balance of play
05:17Better side
05:17More chances
05:18XG
05:18He said all of that
05:19Hasn't he
05:19And he's taken some
05:20Flat for it
05:21Look
05:21The stats point to that
05:23I think in parts
05:24Of those games
05:25Albion were the better team
05:26But ultimately
05:26Didn't do enough
05:27Didn't take chances
05:28Conceded soft goals
05:30Goalkeeper error
05:31All of that
05:31But they need to
05:32Get away from that
05:33Don't they
05:33It's been a season
05:34Of that
05:35Hasn't it
05:35They need to stand up
05:36And deliver now
05:37And you know
05:37They certainly did today
05:38And they need to make sure
05:39I think the challenge
05:40Now is
05:41You know
05:42The stat that
05:42We put out yesterday
05:43If they'd have lost
05:44Today
05:45It would have been
05:46The worst
05:47Kind of consecutive
05:48Losing run
05:48Outside the Premier League
05:49For like 25 years
05:51You know
05:5126 years
05:52Since 999
05:53It's the Dennis Smith days
05:54How soon does
05:56Yeah
05:56They've kind of
05:57Turned it today
05:58You need to make sure
05:59That the season
06:00Doesn't kind of
06:00The tide doesn't
06:02Turn backwards
06:03You know
06:03And they go and falter
06:04In these last four games
06:05You know
06:06And there could be
06:06Positives on both
06:07On both fronts
06:08You know
06:08For momentum
06:09And then if you do
06:10Get over that
06:11Playoff line
06:11You're the side of shit
06:13How many times
06:13How many times
06:14Is the side of form
06:15You know
06:16Just put in a positive
06:17Or a different angle
06:18On the recent bad run
06:20If Albion could now
06:20Just turn it
06:21And put a good run together
06:22Say they're going to win two
06:23Draw two out of the last four games
06:25Or win three
06:25Or whatever
06:26You know
06:27How many times have we seen
06:28The side of the former goal
06:29Do well in the playoffs
06:30We're far off
06:31Aren't we
06:32You know
06:32Nothing
06:33You know
06:33Don't look further
06:34Next Friday
06:35But they need to make sure
06:36Now that this isn't
06:36Just kind of a one-off
06:37And it needs to
06:38You know
06:39Replicate it again
06:40Against Contra
06:41Yeah
06:41I do just quickly
06:42Regardless of how
06:43Coventry do against
06:44Hull on Monday night
06:45They might
06:46Put the gap up again
06:48And make it
06:49Tough ask
06:49But if Albion go and win
06:51They're big
06:52Obviously
06:52If buts and maybes
06:53It really puts the
06:55The mockers on cough
06:56Doesn't it
06:56And really
06:57It makes them scared
06:58For the last few games
06:59Really
06:59Puts the pressure
07:00Right on them
07:01However
07:02Let's be honest
07:02And you've just
07:03Alluded to it there
07:04And without wanting
07:05To bring a negative
07:05On to all of this
07:06You know
07:07Can they go and win
07:07An away game
07:08Bloody hell
07:09Colton negative
07:10No no no
07:11Honest
07:11Can they go and win
07:13An away game
07:14That's right
07:14And another one for you
07:15Can they go and win
07:16Consecutive games
07:17Yeah that's what
07:17They've got to do
07:18They've got to do
07:18Something they haven't done
07:19You know
07:19They've done once
07:21One more name
07:22I want to mention to you
07:24Before we forget to mention
07:25His name
07:25Tom Fellows
07:26But both assists
07:27It's fair
07:29Very interesting
07:30Isn't it
07:30You know
07:31It is
07:31And he gave a very
07:32Interesting answer
07:32When they've actually
07:33Gone side
07:34Yeah and you know
07:35I've just
07:35I have wrote a piece
07:36Now and I wrote it
07:37In the second half
07:37Going
07:38You know
07:38For all the flat
07:39That Mowbray's got
07:39For selections
07:40Maybe dragging fellows
07:42Out of the line
07:42Might just might have
07:43Been the best thing
07:44You know
07:44We saw he had a dip
07:45In confidence
07:46You know
07:47You hear little things
07:47Behind the scenes
07:48You know
07:49When you're at the
07:49Training round
07:49And you hear that
07:50Oh fellows
07:51You have a dip in confidence
07:52Obviously we know
07:53It was made public
07:54That he missed a game
07:55Through a family bereavement
07:56And he's a young player
07:57You know
07:57Regardless of your age
07:58That affects
07:59That affects anyone
08:00You know
08:02Didn't get an England
08:04New squad here
08:05Which would be a massive occasion
08:06You know
08:06But he looked
08:07He looked like his old self
08:09And more
08:10He made mincemeat
08:11Of that fullback today
08:12Yeah
08:12You know
08:12He was quality
08:14By the way
08:15He looked likewise
08:16At Ashton Gate
08:17From the bench
08:17Didn't he
08:17And against Sunderland
08:18He's like a very good
08:19Postman on the right hand side
08:20Today
08:20He always delivers
08:21Lovely
08:22Lovely stuff
08:23But
08:23Yeah
08:24A lot of people
08:25Have said
08:26And I've read
08:26And they're using it
08:27As a stick
08:27To bash the head coach
08:29With
08:29But it's like
08:30Oh
08:30You're playing fellows again
08:31He's delivering
08:32Why did you take him outside
08:33Leading assist
08:33Maker in the championship
08:35All of this
08:35But
08:35Towards the end
08:37Of Corby's reign
08:37And certainly into Mowbray's
08:39Any out
08:39His form
08:41His form hadn't been great
08:43No
08:43Let's not make no bones about it
08:45I think it's the same argument
08:46It was going
08:47You know
08:48Fans are going
08:48Look at what
08:49Colt Scorbron's doing at Valencia
08:51Look at what's happened
08:52With Tony Mowbray
08:52And with some rocky form
08:53Albion went bang out of form
08:55For months before Mowbray arrived
08:56And it was similar with fellows
08:57You know
08:58He was
08:58He'd had a bit of a dip
08:59He'd gone off like a steam train
09:00This season
09:01I think he got 11 assists
09:02In the first out
09:0215 games
09:03Or something ridiculous
09:04Like that
09:04You know
09:05But today showed
09:06Tony gave
09:08Another snippet
09:09But Tony gave an interesting answer
09:10On him there
09:11And you know
09:13He did say
09:13Similar for Johnson really
09:14And he said
09:15When it comes to wingers
09:16Very few
09:17If any
09:17Are consistent
09:18Wingers are inconsistent
09:19But you know
09:20He doubled down then
09:21In saying
09:22Look I've been back
09:23And watched games
09:24He said
09:25And he does
09:26Obviously any manager does
09:27But games where we've struggled
09:28Whatever
09:29Even I think
09:30Before his appointment
09:30You know
09:31These players
09:32Are drifting in and out
09:33End products
09:34They're going down blind alleys
09:35And this
09:36Not just to hammer fellows
09:37Or Johnson
09:38Can provide magic on their day
09:39But others will do that
09:41And I think he's given
09:43Others a chance
09:44I think there's something
09:45In what you said
09:45Taking fellows out
09:46He managed to take young players
09:49Out of the limelight
09:50And he's a young player
09:50He was always going to
09:51It's the first
09:52Extended dipping form
09:54He's had since he got in the team
09:55A year ago
09:55Over a year
09:56He started at Norwich
09:57After the international break
09:58Didn't he
09:58And I thought he had a
09:59Mixed up best game
10:01His teammates
10:02Didn't use him enough
10:03But he handed faith there
10:06An away day
10:06And then
10:07As I say
10:08On the bench
10:08Last week
10:09Here against Sunderland
10:09And against Bristol City
10:10And I think someone
10:11Must have clicked
10:12Actually coming on
10:13Last weekend
10:14Because he looked sharp
10:15Bristol City probably even better
10:17Obviously disappointing days
10:18And today
10:19One of the best
10:21Displays I've seen
10:22From him really
10:23Two assists
10:23For the two goals
10:24Obviously he should have had
10:25Another two assists
10:26At least I think
10:26Takes him
10:2713 for the season
10:29In the division
10:30He's clear
10:30At the summit
10:31Again
10:31Despite
10:32Before today
10:34He'd only assisted once
10:35This calendar year
10:36Under Mowbray
10:37And I wrote it
10:39In my intro
10:40In my report
10:40I said it to Mowbray
10:41There
10:41I put it on Twitter
10:42Johnson and Grant
10:44The goal scorers
10:45Today
10:45Their first goals
10:46Under Mowbray
10:46Their first goals
10:47Since December
10:48And it's
10:48What we mentioned
10:49He said in the press
10:50Through the week
10:50Where he's asking
10:51For these players
10:51To
10:52Detractors have said
10:54Well he's not playing them
10:55Well he's playing Grant
10:56Every week
10:56Johnson's starting
10:58More than he's not
10:59Fellowes
11:00Probably starting
11:02More than he's not
11:02On balance
11:03You know
11:03Why is a price
11:06Played in midfield
11:06Today
11:07After the
11:07Failed experiment
11:08In the first half
11:09The other night
11:09He was excellent
11:10Wasn't he
11:10Price in midfield
11:11Today
11:11Hegan
11:12Just put again
11:13On socials
11:15Only trained on Friday
11:16Came
11:16I just think
11:17He's so reliable
11:18Isn't he
11:19He might as well
11:19End the end season
11:20Award tag
11:20Yeah
11:21But it's Monday
11:21Isn't it
11:22And he's obviously
11:22A surefire winner
11:23He was excellent
11:24On one training
11:25You guessed it
11:25I'm not going
11:27I'm afraid to say
11:28Sorry
11:29No
11:30Invite's in the post
11:31I think
11:31I'm just waiting
11:32For it to come
11:32Good day all right
11:34Yeah
11:34Huge win
11:36It's a shame
11:37They couldn't have
11:37Won by more
11:37But it doesn't matter
11:38Really
11:38It doesn't matter
11:39They must win
11:41They won
11:41Still in the hat
11:42As it were
11:43Those top six claims
11:45And it's going to be
11:46It's going to be tasty
11:47On Friday
11:47Isn't it
11:47We'll see how Monday
11:48That goes for Coventry
11:49And obviously one of
11:50Mowry's former clubs
11:51No shortage of storylines
11:53And can they win away
11:55Can they win back to back
11:56Million dollar question
11:58There for Coxy
11:58Great way to finish the video
12:00On a positive day
12:01For Albion
12:02Answered some questions
12:04Need to keep answering them
12:05Between now
12:06And well
12:07The next four games
12:07But fans score here
12:08At the Hawthorns today
12:09Albion 2
12:10Watford 1
12:10You know where to go
12:11For your reaction
12:12Express and star.com