Albion’s Second Tier Season Comparison – 31 games | OneFootball

It wasn’t great but it was better. Albion showed grit, determination and defensive solidity to earn a point against Stoke City and a first clean sheet since the 2-0 victory over Sheffield United in mid-December, eleven games ago.

In some ways, it’s merely a reset to where the Baggies were under Ryan Mason before Christmas, generally solid but lacking a cutting edge – thankfully, there were no individual errors that cost them a goal. It’s something to build on but a late hamstring injury to Chris Mepham is a concern ahead of a tricky trip to St Andrew’s on Tuesday.

The point was enough to lift Albion out of the bottom three but no Baggies team has had fewer points at this stage of a second tier season – on the two previous occasions when Albion had 33 points from 31 games, they survived on the final day (1994 and 2000). On three occasions (1990, 1991 and 1996), Albion had 35 points at the same stage and, in 1991, they did succumb to the drop.

Game 32 in the 1993/94 season was, like this year, a visit to a local rival. On that occasion, it was a trip to Molineux to take on a Wolves team that were pushing for a play-off place. Albion had beaten their Black Country rivals at the Hawthorns earlier in the season and were looking to complete the double. The excitement for the encounter was such that it was streamed live at the Hawthorns. Kevin Keen gave the hosts the lead after 16 minutes but Albion struck back through Bob Taylor who calmly finished after the ball fell kindly into his path after Bernard McNally dispossessed Keen. Five minutes later, Darren Bradley swung in a free kick and Paul Mardon powered in the header for what would turn out to be the winner.

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