Darren Moore praises ‘clinical’ West Brom after Reading rout

Posted Sunday, October 07, 2018 by PA

West Brom manager Darren Moore hailed the clinical nature of his side after their 4-1 Sky Bet Championship win against Reading at The Hawthorns.

Albion won their fifth successive home league game thanks to a storming second-half fightback after they had fallen behind to Leandro Bacuna’s sixth-minute opener for Reading.

Dwight Gayle drew Albion level after 49 minutes and then gave them a 65th-minute lead with his eighth goal of the season.

Harvey Barnes struck for the second successive game after 72 minutes before Kyle Bartley’s first goal for the club in the 80th minute completed the second-half rout.

Moore said: “At half-time I knew that we had to find a way to get back into the game and try and break down a stubborn defensive rearguard.

“If we were going to win the game we had to go and take it as opposed to Reading give us anything.

“I thought that the changing point of the game was Dwight scoring the first goal. That knocked the stuffing out of them and gave us fresh impetus to win the game.

“As the chances came we were clinical again and took them very, very well and we ran out the game very strongly.”

Moore blamed his side’s first-half display on their recent hectic schedule.

He added: “What people have got to realise is that we had two tough away games.

“We got back from Sheffield (Wednesday) at one, two o’clock in the morning and had 48 hours to turn it around.

“What you don’t back on is going a goal down so early but the big thing for me is that we went in at half-time without conceding a second goal.

“We knew that the boys would get their second breath and I thought that Reading tired and then the gaps opened up and when they did we were really effective with them.”

Reading boss Paul Clement admitted that his side paid the price for failing to take full advantage of their impressive first-half display.

He said: “If we had got the second goal it may have been different. We did well in the first half. We played well. It may have been the best that we have played this season.

“Now at the end of the game we have come off with our heaviest defeat so it is a difficult one, but West Brom are a really good side with Premier League quality players in lots of positions.

“They are confident, a good attacking side. We did well in the first half but we didn’t have enough to contain them in the second half.

“But I thought that tactically, even in the second half, we weren’t being cut apart.

“It was some situations (Albion’s goals) where you do better. There were two set-plays in there, a counter-attack and a cross where I think we could have done a lot better.

“We were a bit deflated after Albion scored their first goal. We have had a tough start to the season but we have made a step.

“But we have to make a bigger step when we come back after the international break.

“I praised the players at half-time but we knew that Albion would react and they played with more intensity in the second half and they deserved the result.”