Paul Gascoigne was booked and finished on the losing side in his first English
League match since 1991 as Middlesbrough's promotion hopes suffered a major
blow.
Gascoigne's contribution to the game was limited, hardly a telling pass or
shot, and his thunder was stolen by West Brom's £500,000 striker James Quinn,
who scored both Albion goals - his first for the club since his move from
Blackpool.
For Albion boss Denis Smith the game marked his first home win since taking
over on Christmas Eve and ended a 10-match winless run.
It was supposed to be the Gascoigne show but worryingly for England boss Glenn
Hoddle, the midfielder looked way short of the levels of skill and fitness the
national coach would want.
Boro also lost Andy Townsend and Paul Merson through injury and had four men
booked - Steve Vickers, Marco Branca, Vladimir Kinder and Gascoigne, who was
shown the yellow card in injury time.
Gascoigne discovered what many a talented player has found in the Nationwide
League, receiving no respect, constant harassment and having to try to survive
in the whirlwind pace of it all.
He found himself confronted by a terrier of a midfield player in Sean Flynn,
the former Derby midfielder managing to upset the £3.45million newboy on more
than one occasion.
Gascoigne had been upstaged before the start by the standing ovation Baggies
fans gave to new WBC super-middleweight champion Ritchie Woodhall - a lifelong
Albion fan - and he found himself beaten to the punch constantly by Flynn and
his team-mates.
Gascoigne's contribution was minimal for long spells. He has had extra
training this week to try to make up for his long lay-off through injury but he
clearly needs to put in more graft.
And he soon found out his cameo appearance in the Coca-Cola Cup Final defeat
by Chelsea last weekend was no preparation for this sort of First Division
battle.
Three Albion players - Paul Beesley, Jason Van Blerk and Lee Hughes - were
booked early on but their style unsettled Boro, who looked like they were
suffering from a massive hangover following their Wembley disappointment.
Albion winger Kevin Kilbane caused all sorts of trouble on the visitors' left
flank and Boro's limited resistance crumbled when they conceded a 22nd-minute
penalty.
Matt Carbon was pulled back by Robbie Mustoe in the box, referee David Pugh
pointed to the spot and Quinn drilled the ball past Mark Schwarzer.
Hughes could have scored another when he was put clear, only for Schwarzer to
make a brave save at his feet, and the red-haired striker crashed a far-post
header into the side-netting after Kilbane's free-kick had found him unmarked.
Boro lost Townsend with an Achilles injury and seemed happy to go in at the
break just one goal down.
Boss Bryan Robson brought on Curtis Fleming to try to counter Kilbane's pace,
Mikkel Beck being withdrawn, but within two minutes of the restart Albion had
doubled their advantage, Quinn stretching out a leg to turn an Andy Hunt cross
in off the far post.
Schwarzer produced a stunning save to deny Hunt from 30 yards and Boro looked
ragged at this stage.
But with the points looking well won, the visitors mounted a comeback and
pulled a goal back after 75 minutes when Marco Branca touched home a Mustoe
cross.
Boro hardly deserved a point but Albion had to defend desperately as they
fought to hold onto their lead.
Well into injury time, substitute Hamilton Ricard was put clean through and
somehow managed to fire wide from 15 yards as Boro's hopes of salvaging a point
bit the dust.
Teams
West Brom: Miller, McDermott, Van Blerk, Flynn, Beesley, Carbon,
Quinn, Nicol, Hunt (Sneekes 86), Hughes (Coldicott 46), Kilbane.
Subs Not Used: Murphy.
Booked: Van Blerk, Beesley, Hughes.
Goals: Quinn 22 pen, 47.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Festa, Kinder, Vickers, Pearson,
Townsend (Maddison 19), Mustoe, Gascoigne, Branca,
Merson (Ricard 68), Beck (Fleming 46).
Booked: Kinder, Vickers, Branca, Gascoigne.
Goals: Branca 75.
Att: 20,620
Ref: D Pugh (Wirral).
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