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Search forBird free-kick rescues friendly draw for Town
Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 21:33
CHELTENHAM TOWN held Premier League new boys West Brom at Whaddon Road last night in their opening home friendly of the summer.
Marek Cech gave the visitors a 20th minute lead with a deflected shot, but David Bird curled in a delightful free-kick in the second half to earn the Robins a creditable draw.
Albion fielded a strong side containing up to seven players who will be in contention for a place in boss Tony Mowbray’s starting line-up on the opening day of the season.
Cheltenham threatened debutant Scott Carson’s goal for the first time in the sixth minute when Alan Wright’s vicious free-kick flashed inches over the bar.
Former Manchester City front man Ishmael Miller looked dangerous throughout the first half and he tested Shane Higgs with a low shot that was dealt with comfortably by the Robins’ number one.
Last season’s Coca-Cola Championship title winners Albion stroked the ball around fluently, but Paul Connor gave central defender James Hancox a tough time chasing a through ball in the 12th minute.
Connor outpaced Hancox and burst into the area with only Carson to beat, but the £3.25 million signing from Liverpool narrowed the angle and gave the Cheltenham striker nowhere to go, smothering the ball.
Miller found space in the penalty area and lifted the ball over the advancing Higgs, but his effort clipped the top of the bar and bobbled to safety.
West Brom took the lead in fortuitous circumstances after 20 minutes when £1.3million summer signing from Porto Cech unleashed a powerful shot that took a heavy deflection off Shane Duff’s foot, wrong-footing Higgs and rolling into the net.
Cheltenham almost hit back five minutes later when Alex Russell did well to dispossess Jonathan Greening near the halfway line and find Scott Brown, who had a bright opening half.
Brown raced forward and thumped a right-footed shot narrowly wide of the left post, with Carson struggling to reach it.
Baggies centre-back Leon Barnett headed Chris Brunt’s corner over the bar with almost the whole goal to aim for after losing his marker in the 51st minute and Higgs caught a Craig Beattie shot to diving his left.
Greening had Higgs back-pedaling in the 67th minute with a clever chip that was touched over from underneath the bar.
The resulting corner from Brunt was inadvertently directed towards his own goal by Connor and Bartosz Slusarski’s shot was stopped on the line by Michael Townsend and rolled into the grateful arms of Higgs.
Higgs looks set to continue his outstanding form from last season if his 74th minute save from Romaine Sawyers is anything to go by.
Sawyers’ attempt looked destined for the top right corner, but Higgs clawed it away at full stretch.
Thanks to Higgs, Cheltenham remained only one goal down and Bird netted a superb equaliser in the 79th minute.
Last season’s Supporters’ Player of the Year curled a free-kick from 20 yards past replacement goalkeeper Luke Daniels inside the left upright to make it 1-1.
Out of contact forward Ashley Vincent headed Brown’s cross over and Connor nodded Ben Gill’s corner wide almost immediately as the Robins chased a morale-boosting victory, but honours finished even.
Swiss trialist Gregory Duruz was given 15 minutes on the left of midfield, but he saw little of the ball.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: S Higgs; J Gill (A Gallinagh 75), S Duff, M Townsend, A Wright (C Armstrong 65); A Lindegaard (G Duruz 75), D Bird, A Russell (B Gill 65), S Brown (L Ridley 86); P Connor, A Vincent (A Ledgister 83). Subs not used: S P A Brown.
WEST BROM: S Carson (L Daniels 46); C Hoefkens, L Barnett, J Hancox (L Baker 46), M Cech (Tininho 46); D Worrall (R Sawyers 69), J Labadie, J Greening (Z Martin 82), C Brunt (S Manton 82); C Beattie (J Knight 69), I Miller (B Slusarski 60).
REFEREE: A M Penn (West Midlands).
ATTENDANCE: 2,241 (635 from West Brom).
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