Darren Moore lauds West Brom as they get their first Championship win

Posted Sunday, August 12, 2018 by PA

Manager Darren Moore paid tribute to West Brom after they recorded their first win back in the Championship with a 4-3 success at Norwich.

The relegated Baggies had only taken one point from their opening two fixtures but put that disappointing start behind them by coming through a stern test at Carrow Road.

“Make no mistake I am really happy with the three points at the end of what has been a difficult week,” said the Albion boss.

“We had a really tough game at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night after the opener against Bolton so this was our third game in seven days, and we’ve had transfer deadline day on top of that.

“We had to make a long journey to play a good Norwich side on a very hot afternoon and the lads have done really well to come away with the three points.

“The word I would use to sum up the game is crazy, especially with the way the goals were flying in. But we have come through a tough test and that is very pleasing.”

Moore was impressed with the way his side upped their level after seeing Jordan Rhodes miss a first-half penalty that would have made it 2-1 to Norwich.

“I though Sam Johnstone’s save was the key moment of the game. He made it looked easy but it was a really good goalkeeping,” he said.

“After that the lads regrouped and took the game to Norwich and ended up scoring four goals. Not many teams will do that at Carrow Road this season.

“I was very pleased with our play in the attacking third. I think Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle will be a really good partnership and then we have players like Matt Phillips, Harvey Barnes and Hal Robson- Kanu who will provide the service and are also a threat themselves.

“Obviously I would have liked us to have been more solid at the back but I think a factor in that was fatigue on a hot afternoon after a very busy week.”

The first goal of a memorable game arrived on 23 minutes when Rhodes opened his account for Norwich with a close-range finish.

West Brom were soon back on level terms following the first of two bad mistakes from home keeper Tim Krul, who carelessly felled Rodriguez in the box, with the striker picking himself up to convert from the spot.

Rhodes saw a tame penalty saved by Johnstone a few minutes later before Krul let a long-range Rodriguez shot slip through his grasp just after the break to gift the Baggies the lead.

Moore’s side then twice stretched their advantage to two goals through Barnes and substitute Robson-Kanu, only for Norwich to twice hit back through Teemu Pukki and Grant Hanley.

Norwich boss Daniel Farke was disappointed to see his side come away empty-handed.

“The feeling in the dressing room at half-time was that we should have had the match won,” he said.

“We had so many 100 per cent chances – Jordan Rhodes missed a penalty and a one on one with the keeper, there were shots from good positions from Moritz Leitner and Ivo Pinto which went over, but it’s 1-1 at half-time after we jumped under a cross and it leads to a penalty to them.

“We played really well against a side with a lot of quality at this level. Then we concede a goal from 35 metres which is not really a chance and that is a real killer for us.

“They score again from a breakaway and although we kept battling we came away with nothing. I still can’t really believe it but this is football and you don’t always get what you deserve.”