West Brom moved into striking position for a play-off place in the First
Division with a convincing win at Swindon.
A goal in each half from Matt Carbon and Mickey Evans were enough to give
Denis Smith his second straight win and move them level on points with Wolves in
sixth position.
Carbon opened the scoring for Albion five minutes before half-time when he
rose above the Swindon defence to meet a far post cross from Paul Holmes and
power home a header past Swindon keeper Fraser Digby.
Until then Swindon had been in control of the game but failed to carve out any
clear openings at goal.
The nearest they came to opening the scoring was when Craig Taylor saw his
header from 12 yards fly inches wide of the Albion post, although Frenchman
Philippe Cuervo should have done better with a volley from eight yards.
West Brom had soaked up the early pressure that Swindon put them under and
looked to make the most of any gaps in the home team's defence.
Just after half-time they created an opening for Carbon but his low shot was
turned away for a corner by Digby.
Swindon then had a penalty appeal turned down when Ty Gooden was felled by a
challenge from Holmes and West Brom went straight up the other end to hit the
second.
Town failed to clear their lines properly and when Shaun Murphy saw his effort
cleared off the line Evans was on hand to turn in the equaliser.
The goal then produced an astonishing reaction from the Swindon players as
team-mates Scot Leitch and Mark Robinson traded punches in their own goal mouth
as the inquest to Albion's second goal took place. Swindon were struggling to
open up a right West Brom defence which was being well marshalled by the
impressive Carbon in only his third game for the club since his move from
Derby.
When they did create a half chance Gooden saw his effort blocked by Holmes and
Steve Finney saw his header fly just past Alan Miller's left hand post.
Teams
Swindon: Digby, Borrows, Robinson, Leitch, Taylor, Collins,
Cuervo (Watson 73), Howe, Hay (Cowe 73), Finney,
Gooden (Culverhouse 81).
Booked: Robinson, Leitch, Taylor.
West Brom: Miller, Holmes, Nicholson, Sneekes, Murphy, Carbon,
Butler, Hamilton, Hughes, Hunt (Evans 62), Kilbane.
Subs Not Used: Coldicott, Dobson.
Booked: Murphy, Kilbane.
Goals: Carbon 40, Evans 81.
Att: 9,861
Ref: M R Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).
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