CITY 0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0
FA Barclays Premiership
13th August 2005
attendance 42,983
City James, Mills, Thatcher, Sommeil, Jordan, Sinclair, Barton, Reyna, Musampa, Cole, Vassell – subs Sibierski(90), Sun(unused), Onuoha(unused), Croft(85), B Wright-Phillips(70)
West Brom Kirkland, Albrechtsen, Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson, Gera, Wallwork, Inaamoto, Greening, Campbell, Kanu – subs Chaplow(90), Watson(80), Kamara(60), Earnshaw(unused), Kuszczak(unused)
Not a game that will be warmly recalled by those who witnessed it as City again found the Baggies a tough proposition on their own turf. In fact, Albion probably had the chance of the game when Zoltan Gera contrived to miss with a header when it seemed easier to score. The Blues were without influential centre backs Sylvain Distin and Richard Dunne and it was left to Stephen Jordan and David Sommeil to keep West Brom at bay. While Andy Cole and Darius Vassell enjoyed industrious debuts it was left to Stuart Pearce’s sliding tackle on Bryan Robson – you had to be there – to provide the one memorable moment of a huff and puff afternoon with both houses still intact by the end of play.
CITY Mag Sept 2005