West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Coventry City - Midlands derby ends goalless at The Hawthorns
- Published
- comments
West Bromwich Albion have been involved in six goalless draws this season - four of them at The Hawthorns
West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City's slim Championship play-off hopes were ended as as the two sides played out a goalless Midlands derby at The Hawthorns.
But it needed a last-penalty save by Coventry keeper Ben Wilson to deny Albion a dramatic injury-time winner.
Michael Rose was adjudged to have fouled Callum Robinson but Wilson, making his first start in three months, dived to his right to palm away Karlan Grant's 96th-minute spotkick.
That officially put an end to any lingering play-off hopes Steve Bruce's Albion nurtured, while Coventry's bid is over too.
Mark Robins' side sit six points behind sixth-placed Sheffield United, with two games to go and a far worse goal difference.
Their only hope of making the play-offs would have been if the five teams immediately above them lost their remaining two games and they won both of theirs, with a major turnaround in goal difference. But two of those teams - QPR and Sheffield United - play each other next Friday night at Loftus Road.
In a poor game in which neither side managed a shot in target in the first 45 minutes, it turned into the sixth goalless draw Albion's fans have suffered this season - four of them at The Hawthorns.
Viktor Gyokeres, Jamie Allen (twice), Ben Sheaf and Martyn Waghorn missed chances for the visitors.
Grant and Matt Clarke wasted Albion's best openings prior to the late penalty drama, while Andy Carroll slid in at the far post to sky over a Matt Phillips corner.
Albion, who drop to 13th, have two remaining games, away to Bruce's old Manchester United team-mate Paul Ince's Reading next Saturday followed by the visit of relegated Barnsley.
Coventry wind up their season with a visit from one of Robins' former clubs, automatic promotion chasers Huddersfield, followed by a final-day trip to Stoke.
West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Bruce told BBC Radio WM:
"There is a long summer ahead. We need a freshness in terms of the players we want to bring in. And we're on with it. It will be a new-look team.
"We are not going to accept being mid-table. There are a lot of players that have been here for a long time and the supporters want to see some new faces more than anything.
"We've got to be professional in our last two games and maybe we'll look at the younger element. But we still want to finish the season respectfully and in a respectable position.
"It was a penalty because he gave it. It didn't make any difference, but it looked a bit soft."
Coventry City manager Mark Robins:
"My disappointment was the penalty was given in the first place. No way on this planet was that a penalty but he couldn't wait to give it.
"Ben Wilson's penalty save was out of this world - top drawer. Not only that, his distribution and general play was really good and gave us a decent platform to play.
"We were really good value for a point and we could have nicked something with a bit more belief. If that belief shifts in one or two individuals in the team then we will score more goals and create more chances. Then we can clearly move forward a little bit more.
"When you're playing against teams like this who were in the Premier League last season, they've got Premier League quality. When you've got a powerhouse in the air like Andy Carroll, you're always under pressure and you've got to try to stop crosses."