Igor Balis sensationally grabbed a last-minute penalty to put West Brom three
points from the Premiership.
With time ebbing away and the final automatic promotion place seemingly
swinging back into their rivals Wolves' hands, Andy Myers brought down Bob
Taylor in the area and Slovakian Balis stepped up to slot the ball past Alan
Combe.
Albion now stand four points ahead of Wolves, meaning victory over Crystal
Palace at home next week - or defeat for Wanderers at home to Wimbledon on Sunday
- will take them back to the top flight for the first time since 1986.
It was a breathtaking finish to a frankly average game. With the visitors
showing all the nerves of a side on the cusp of the jackpot, Albion showed
plenty of effort but little up front as Bradford's defence held firm.
The penultimate weekend in what has been an enthralling First Division
promotion race looked to have witnessed another twist as the Baggies poured
forward in attack after fruitless attack.
Against a Bradford side that only last week ensured Division One survival,
Albion looked below-par despite the huge travelling support behind them.
But it was the introduction of Taylor, left on the bench after suffering a
broken hand last week against Rotherham, in the 75th minute that arguably turned
the game in the visitors' favour.
Trevor Benjamin, another substitute, had already been unlucky not to score
when minutes earlier his header was heroically tipped onto the crossbar by
Combe.
In an unexciting first half, Scott Dobie had almost put Albion ahead as early
as the fourth minute but his close-range volley was mis-hit harmlessly over.
Bradford went close themselves five minutes later when Juanjo nearly finished
a neat move on the edge of the penalty area but his forceful low effort was
straight at Russell Hoult.
The visitors' best chance in the opening 45 minutes came just after the
half-hour mark when Dobie glanced a header wastefully wide after Neil Clement's
corner.
After the break, Adam Chambers was called upon to head off his own line after
Bantams strike duo Ashley Ward and Danny Cadamarteri had combined.
In the 53rd minute, Andy Johnson was put through by Danny Dichio but Combe was
quick to come out and smother the shot, injuring himself in the process.
Albion sensed the need to mount a last effort and the final fifth of the game
was spent camped almost entirely in the final third.
Taylor came on and immediately posed a threat, first in firing over from eight
yards and then when having a close-range effort smothered by the excellent
Combe.
That looked to be it for Albion, but then, to their Black Country rivals'
despair, Balis stepped up to convert in injury-time. West Brom have one foot in
the Premiership.
Teams:
Bradford Combe, Jorgensen (Myers 75), Wetherall, Bower,
Jacobs, Juanjo, McCall (Locke 90), Kearney, Jess (Emanuel 36),
Ward, Cadamarteri.
Subs Not Used: Lee, Worsnop.
Booked: Bower, Jorgensen, Ward, Emanuel.
West Brom Hoult, Sigurdsson, Moore, Gilchrist, Balis,
Adam Chambers (Benjamin 65), Johnson, McInnes, Clement, Dobie,
Dichio (Taylor 74).
Subs Not Used: Petterson, Fox, Cummings.
Booked: Moore, Adam Chambers.
Goals: Balis 90 pen.
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