City ride out Storm Bert and earn a point that was worth more than a point

Today at 01:58 AM

For once the international break seems to have been just that – a break.

Two weeks ago a tired, dispirited City team left the pitch having lost their proud unbeaten home record. The display was one of weary legs and tired minds.

Against the Baggies, it was chalk and cheese.

Sure, there were a number of heart-stopping misplaced passes, but City seemed to be getting back to the levels achieved in that fantastic run before the last international break.

I mentioned Mark Attanasio's comments in last week's Mardle, that the players returning from injury would be like new signings.

In the pre-match presser, it felt very much like this.

"Barnes is back with the group, and so is Gibbs. Onel has also been back. Fasi is back in the group"

As it happened, there was only one returnee in the starting XI. As backup keepers go, George Long gets the job done but there is no doubt that the return of Angus Gunn lent an imposing presence to the City back line, missing during recent games.

The Baggies bombarded City with 11 corners during the game. Yes, they conceded from one of the first, but the defence looked resolute for the remainder under some serious pressure.

With the yin comes the yang, and the news that Jose Cordoba was missing with a recurrence of his knee pain from earlier this season. This necessitated Callum Doyle moving back into the middle – where I think he is stronger – and Kellen Fisher being preferred to Ben Chrisene at left-back. Jack Stacey returned at right back.

And what an inspired move that was. Stacey was back to his very best, stretching the play wide on the right and making a number of superb last-ditch tackles.

"I've singled him out in the dressing room just now. To train the way he does when a stupid coach comes from Denmark and takes him out of the side in favour of younger players. But he was ready to come in again when he got his chance"

It’s a comment from Thorup with so many nuances and angles hidden in it. But he was right. The ball that Stacey chased down on the right, as it ran away on the slick Black Country turf, would have been given up by most players. But Stacey not only got there, he delivered the perfect cross for Emiliano Marcondes to slide home his first goal for City.

The influence of Danish free signing is increasing in every game, and he played a significant role in City's second. The interplay between him and Borja Sainz in the tight confine of the West Brom penalty area was sublime. Sainz, of course, claimed the goal but in reality, Heggem touched the ball away from him as he prepared to slot home and there was nothing that Palmer in the home goal could do to stop City taking the lead.

City still have a soft underbelly though. The Baggies hit back twice in a few minutes, seemingly taking the lead until the second ‘goal’ was ruled out for handball.

The City midfield felt a whole lot more composed than in that miserable performance against Bristol City. They were more mobile and enabled City to play out from some incredibly tight situations at the back. Amankwah Forson made his first start for City since the defeat to Swansea back in September and made probably his most rounded performance to date.

That and a more mobile Anis Ben Slimane meant that the limitations of Lungi Sorensen’s game were less exposed. Overall it was just better.

And Sainz. He is rapidly becoming by far and away the man that teams most fear in the City side. He was almost unplayable at times, cutting inside, weaving past player after player. Admittedly at times he merely ran into a dead end, but his dipping shot over the bar, and the one-on-one against the keeper that wouldn't come onto his left foot showed what a threat he was.

Yet for all their attacking intent and prowess, City once again lacked that edge up front. Ante Crnac was willing and got into some great positions, yet somehow the final touch eluded him, getting tangled with the ball when it looked seemingly easier to score at one point.

With Josh Sargent still some weeks away from fitness, the striker conundrum may be eased by the return of Ashley Barnes. This week, Thorup turned to Onel Hernandez when it came to changes.

The affable Cuban certainly caused the Baggies some different problems. He made all the right runs, all the right angles and got in some promising positions. As the game drew to a close, Heggem made amends for his earlier indiscretion with a great last-ditch tackle when Onel looked likely to score.

"I think sometimes a point is worth a little bit more than just a point" was Thorup's verdict. He is right. The performance was a country mile better than Bristol, and it was important to break that run of three consecutive defeats.

"What makes me most excited is the performance, I think we tried … We also had a chance to win it which is really, really strong from this group of players because it's not been easy"

Damn right it hasn't. West Brom had only conceded one goal at home all season. When City went one down, the odds didn't look great.

The Hawthorns is going to be a tricky place for any team to visit. The presence of Storm Bert didn't help as the wind and rain battered the players. West Brom are expected to be among the play-off contenders so a point there looks like a good result

Given the weather endured by the players and, more importantly, the City faithful (did I really see someone with just a short-sleeved top on?), I've chosen a weather theme for this week.

City have hopefully ridden the storm of the injury crisis, so let's go with The Doors, Riders on the Storm.