DATE: Sunday 4th May 2008, 2pm
RESULT: Queens Park Rangers 0 West Bromwich Albion 2
COMPETITION: Coca-Cola Championship

West Brom claim the Championship crown

Albion were all-but promoted going into the final day of the season, following Monday’s home draw with Southampton but today we can read the papers wth total pride as the headlines state West Bromwich Albion are the Coca-Cola Championship Champions 2007/08 after a 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers on the last day of the season.

QPR keeper Lee Camp had denied Roman Bednar and Chris Brunt before Rangers had been reduced to 10 men shortly before the break. Kim Do-Heon came off the bench in the second half to open the scoring on 53 minutes with a close range headed goal before Chris Brunt wrapped the title up with a sublime free kick into the top corner allowing the Baggies fans to begin the celebrations and leave Stoke City in second spot two points adrift.

Full Match Report

The Baggies were all-but promoted going into the final day of the season, following Monday’s home draw with Southampton but today we can read the papers wth total pride as the headlines state West Bromwich Albion are the Coca-Cola Championship Champions 2007/08 after a 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers on the last day of the season.

QPR keeper Lee Camp had denied Roman Bednar and Brunt before Rangers had been reduced to 10 men shortly before the break. Kim Do-Heon came off the bench in the second half to open the scoring on 53 minutes with a close range headed goal before Chris Brunt wrapped the title up with a sublime free kick into the top corner allowing the Baggies fans to begin the celebrations and leave Stoke City in second spot two points adrift.

Today was Albion’s day after eighty eight years passing us by since we last lifted a league title and the 2,800 travelling support who were dressed as super heroes in honour of 'Super' Kevin Phillips enjoyed the build up prior to the match around the Springbok pub just outside the ground.

Despite the heroes of Batman and Robin, Mr Incredible, Wonder woman, Danger Mouse and notably Tesco man in the crowd it was QPR who took control from the kick off when after 10 minutes Rangers could well have taken the lead when Dexter Blackstock's header was ruled not to have crossed the Baggies goal line although it had appeared to from my position.

Rangers Camp then saved well from Roman Bednar and then followed that up with a quality tip over from a powerful left-foot shot from Albion’s Chris Brunt.

The Hoops suffered a major blow when Martin Rowlands received a straight red card on 37 minutes for a two-footed lunge on Baggies captain Jonathan Greening but this was a half disappointment in the most and one to forget from our perspective.

Half Time: Queens Park Rangers 0 West Bromwich Albion 0

The game needed it and Tony Mowbray delivered with an inspired substitution at half time as Kim was introduced for Roman Bednar but it was QPR's Blackstock who shot just over the bar from 20 yards out from the restart before Mowbray’s inspirational substitution Kim broke the deadlock on 53 minutes with his first real contribution.

Clement had already been booked when he collided with Ainsworth inches outside the area in the 50th minute and the resulting free kick saw a delightful chip that released Kim in the area with just Camp to beat but he lost control of the ball it looked as though the opening would come to nothing until Zoltan Gera picked up the loose ball and jinked to the bye-line where he drew Camp from his goal. As a result Kim had an empty net in which to direct the driven cross in with his head to open the Baggies account.

On 77 minutes Albion’s Carl Hoefkens was barged over 20 yards from goal and in front of the travelling Albion fans. Up stepped Chris Brunt, who scored the decisive equaliser against Southampton on Monday night and again showed his commitment to the cause when he found Camp’s top right hand corner with a curler worthy of any league title for the second goal which sealed promotion to the Premier League and claim the Coca-Cola Championship title in the process.

In the third minute of stoppage time, sub Luke Moore could have made it three by scoring his first goal for the Baggies - but fired his snap shot volley over the bar after controlling the initial ball well.

Full Time: Queens Park Rangers 0 West Bromwich Albion 2

MATCH INFORMATION

Queens Park Rangers (4-4-2):

Camp, Mancienne, Rehman, Connolly, Delaney, Ainsworth, Mahon, Rowlands, Ephraim (Rose 80), Blackstock, Balanta (Leigertwood 39). Subs not used: Cole (gk), Barker, Lee.

West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2):

Kiely, Hoefkens, Barnett, Clement (Albrechtsen 54), Robinson (Moore 73), Gera, Koren, Greening, Brunt, Phillips, Bednar (Kim HT). Subs not used: Miller, Morrison.

Booked: Albion - Clement (foul 43), Robinson (foul 70).

Sent-Off: QPR - Rowlands (foul 37).

Goals: Albion - Kim (53), Brunt (77).

Referee: P Taylor (Hertfordshire)

Attendance: 18,309

MANAGERS COMMENTS

Tony Mowbray

"It's a proud moment.

"It's been a long, long season.

"We've come a long, long way from losing at Burnley on the opening day and have made a lot of progress.

"Great credit to this group of players who have come through a season winning more games and scoring more goals than anyone else in the league.

"They rightly find themselves champions of the division.

"The supporters have also been wonderful all season.

"They backed the team even when we were losing a few games.

"Generally, the supporters have enjoyed watching the team.

"There is this great debate going on in English football at the moment about whether it's all about winning or entertaining.

"You've got to get a balance and hopefully we have had a balance this year.

"We've probably lost too many games and have gone up with 81 points.

"People might argue that shouldn't be enough to win a Championship.

"But I think we've done it in style.

"We've scored a lot of goals and entertained our supporters.

"That's the business we should be in and I think that's why our supporters have stuck with us.

"I'm proud once again that we've scored 100 goals and entertained along the way."

Luigi De Canio

"We prepared all week for this match and his decision completely changed the game.

"He wasn't up to refereeing the game today and that's just not good enough.

"Personally I feel very offended by the way he conducted himself. His performance was very poor. He was offensive to us, West Brom and the Championship.

"His mediocrity was thoroughly convincing today."

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