DATE: Tuesday 10th July 2007, 7.45pm
RESULT: Histon 1 West Bromwich Albion 1
COMPETITION: Pre-Season Friendly

TEAM NEWS

The small contingent of travelling Albion fans were given their first glimpse of new signings Craig Beattie and Shelton Martis, who both kicked-off the first half of the pre-season friendly against newly promoted Conference outfit Histon.

Tony Mowbray took enough players to field two different sides in either half at the Glassworld Stadium as he ran the rule over his depleted squad ahead of the new Championship season after the loss of last seasons hot shot and playmaker Diomansy Kamara and Jason Koumas.

ALBION DRAW TAKES THE HISTON

Albion opened their first pre-season friendly of the 2007-08 season with a hard fought draw against Histon at The Glassworld Stadium on Tuesday night, in a game where the visitors could have easily lost.

Big John opened the game's scoring in the third minute after heading home Jack Compton's right wing corner but a Dean Kiely double save from Adrian Cambridge's 18th minute penalty ensured Albion went in at half-time with a slender 1-0 lead.

Eight minutes into the second-half Histon's Antonio Murray slid home Erkan Okay's cross to level the scores and ensured that this warm up game gave Albion boss Tony Mowbray enough reasons to request that a huge proportion of the transfer fees received for Diomansy Kamara and Jason Koumas are invested into the squad from Chairman Jeremy Peace.

Full Match Report

Albion took just 3 minutes to open their 2007-08 pre-season account when John Hartson headed home Jack Compton’s right wing corner.

New recruit Craig Beattie was unlucky with an attempt to score on his debut just four minutes later after his shot from the edge of the box was well blocked by Matthew Haniver, before Kevin Phillips tried his luck with a cracking 30-yard shot on 11 minutes only for Stutes keeper Daniel Naisbitt to clear the ball.

Next Albion debutant David Worrell provided John Hartson with a quality ball from the right but the big man showed his pre-season reflexes with a poor attempt at goal from 10-yards out.

Albion conceded a penalty after Shelton Martis handled during a goal mouth scramble midway through the half but the alert Dean Kiely first blocked Adrian Cambridge’s spot kick before saving the rebound and denying an equaliser.

The remainder of the half was played out with chances falling for Phillips, Hartson and Beattie as Albion pushed to extend their slender lead before half time.

Half Time: Histon 0 West Bromwich Albion 1

The second half saw a total team change as Tony Mowbray exercised his squad and gave first-team debuts for Academy players Joss Labadie and Scott Mason and new pro Adrian Manchester, whilst Histon changed no less than six of their starting line-up.

Histon settled quicker of the two teams as the second half got under way and Robbie Nightingale should have equalized for Histon with a shot which deflected just over the Baggies bar.

Minutes later and with Albion on the back foot, Antonio Murray got Histon back on level terms after he latched onto Nightingale’s attempt to send the ball goalwards

With an hour played Histon could well have taken the lead had it not been for the intervention of Jared Hodgkiss as he headed the ball off the line from a Mitchell-King header.

An unimpressive final 30 minutes of play saw Nathan Ellington first have a long-range effort on 74 minutes before having the chance to wrap up the game in the final minute. Having been set free by a superb Labadie pass Ellington’s lob also managed to clear the bar as well as the onrushing keeper.

Full Time: Histon 1 West Bromwich Albion 1

MATCH INFORMATION

Histon (4-4-2): Naisbitt (Osbourn 20); Haniver (Nightingale 50), Mitchel-King, Ada, Gwillam (Coulson 76); Bradshaw (Murray 50), Cambridge, Kennedy (Okay 50), Barker (Hipperson 50); Akurang (Bell 50), Wright (Knight-Percival).

Albion (4-3-3): First-Half: Kiely; Albrechtsen, Martis, McShane, Compton; Chaplow, Greening, Worrall; Beattie, Hartson, Phillips. Second-Half: Daniels (gk); Mason, Davies, Manchester, Hodgkiss; Labadie, Carter, Nardiello; Nicholson, Ellington, MacDonald.

Goals: Histon - Murray (53). Albion - Hartson (3).

Referee: Mick Thorpe (Ipswich), Assistant Referees: Simon Long (Ipswich) and George Sprague (Cambridge). Fourth Official: Alan Pitman (Wisbech).

Attendance: 1,245.


FANS MESSAGE BOARD COMMENT

Member: Rich

After Match Comments: A disappointing night at The Glassworld Stadium left me wondering why I continue to bother attending pre-season friendlies because they always have the same outcome.

I fully understand it’s a chance for players to build up their fitness levels ahead of the new season and players will always pull out of challenges to avoid getting injured, but it’s also a chance for players to impress the manager. Surely players should have a certain level of commitment to win the game?

With the players we had on show last night, along with the level of football Histon play at (no disrespect intended), that should have been the case, but in the end Albion were lucky to get a draw and were on the back foot for most of the second half.

When Big John put Albion in front after three minutes I thought it was going to be a walk in the park but how wrong was I to be? It was only down to Histon’s poor finishing that Albion went in at half-time 1 nil up.

The only positive thing to come out of the first half was David Worrall and I can fully understand why there is so much hype about the youngster. Craig Beattie looked sharp, pacey and showed some nifty footwork although he did miss a glorious one on one when he shot straight at the keeper. Shelton Martis had a nightmare debut and although it was his first game in Albion colours and I do believe in giving players a chance, for £50,000 we were robbed, he gave away a penalty, kept giving the ball away and passing it back to the goalkeeper.

The second half was even worse than the first and although I hate to admit it, if it wasn’t for the aerial presence of Curtis Davies we would have lost the game.

Sherjill MacDonald was ok getting forward until he got in front of goal while Nathan Ellington had a few half chances which went wide.

Full credit to Histon who were unlucky not to win the game as they did have the chances to win it, they battled throughout the game, worked hard and were fully committed.

Man Of the Match: David Worrall (first half), Curtis Davies (Second half).

NEXT UP: Balkans Tour: Hajduk Split, away, Friday 13th July 2007, 7pm BST.