Boing Boing Baggies

West Brom 1 West Ham 0

Thankfully I'm at some grass roots football while this is going on, watching Stevenage v Walsall with Matt in an entertaining 3-2 win for the Borough in front of a crowd of 2,900. The only stress is listening to the news filtering through from the Hawthorns before we fail to respect the map and get lost on the way back to the station.

Watching the game on Match of the Day, we have our chances. Diame finds Jarvis for a cross that causes panic early on and we apparently dominate the first ten minutes. That's no use though, as West Brom go ahead when Reid fails to come across and Amalfitano has forever to cross for Behahino to bundle home. WHU respond and Diame crosses and Carroll gets in a good header that Foster does well to save one-handed. Demel also has a shot well -saved. while Jones heads wide for Albion.

In the second half it's mainly Baggies' pressure as Berahino misses two great chances. West Ham come closest when Carroll gets a free header from a corner and flicks the ball on to the bar.

Big Sam's decision to bring on Carlton Cole but take off both wingers is greeted by chants of "You don't know what you're doing!" and it does seem bizarre not to leave anyone who can cross on with two big men up front. There's a banner in the away end reading "Fat Sam Out". I can understand the dissatisfaction and the sentiment, but it's a negative image to send to the players, who are after all Allardyce's men. The "Benitez out" banners in the Chelsea end didn't do the Blues any good last season, and it's surely better to keep the boos and banners to the final whistle.

Albion keep it in the corners and finally win at home. West Ham have lost four in a row and seven out of nine.Allardyce is honest enough to admit that we have to improve and he's the man who has to take responsibility, though whether he'll be around next season we don't know. Luckily Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff do us a favour by dropping points, but our season is ending with a whimper.