West Brom 3, Wigan Athletic 1TONY MOWBRAY would not be capable of a Kevin Keegan outburst if he tried. The West Bromwich Albion manager is controlled with his thoughts and chooses his words as carefully as he likes his players to pick passes. But in the wake of a victory that imbued Albion with renewed belief in their survival battle, the former central defender showed some rare emotion and, without raising his voice, delivered what might be described as an "I'd love it we if stay up" moment.
"I've never written us off," he said after a second successive home win lifted his side to within three points of Hull City.
"They've tried to write us off for months, but I know what's in our dressingroom and [ Saturday] was a classic case of that. Players have had to deal for days and days with the negativity of 200 to 1 [ odds] splashed across Sky every day. This will be the day, the mentality to use that and spin it on its head and keep fighting."
Mowbray is a realist and knows that hope could disappear as quickly as it returned.
"I don't want to be the ultimate optimist because we could all be down in the dumps next Sunday and you would be telling me that it was inevitable," he said, but there was a glint in his eye as he dreamed of an unexpected twist.
"We need to get at least a point against Liverpool and, if we're still alive, go to Blackburn. That would make it a pretty exciting last day - it would be something else."
The manager's excitement was palpable, even if the odds remain stacked against him.
With the worst goal difference among the relegation-threatened clubs, Albion would need a minimum four points from their final two fixtures; hope that Middlesbrough and Newcastle are unable to match that; and Hull suffer another two defeats.
It is a lot to ask, even allowing for the dreadful form of those struggling and the fact that Liverpool's pursuit of the title could be over.
A much more likely scenario is that Albion will come up short and be left to reflect on home defeats by Hull, Newcastle and Stoke. Indeed, this match might have ended up going the same way but for Republic of Ireland international Dean Kiely.
The 38-year-old goalkeeper, who was unfortunate to be beaten by Hugo Rodallega's deflected free-kick after Marc-Antoine Fortune had headed the first of his two goals, made three excellent saves to deny Paul Scharner, Antonio Valencia and Mario Melchiot.
In for the injured Scott Carson, Kiely had not played for the senior team since August but Mowbray claimed he has been contributing every week.
"He is a massive voice for the whole football club in the dressingroom prior to games. One of a few I would call real men with football running through his veins," he said.
"He drives on and sometimes he inspires. His voice in the dressingroom is more powerful than the manager. Kiely brings that to the team and that's why he is here."
There was an amusing moment when Steve Bruce, the Wigan manager, thought Kiely had picked up the man-of-the-match award only for the former Charlton keeper to put him right. "A centre-forward got it," replied Kiely. "It's a joke innit? I've signed a contract. They've only given it to him because they want him to sign a new contract."
He might have a point but, with two goals and an assist to his name, Fortune, who is on loan from Nancy, was not such a peculiar choice.
Richard Kingson was comfortably Wigan's best player. On for the injured Chris Kirkland, the Ghanaian impressed, making several fine stops, including a penalty save from Brunt - after Titus Bramble had tripped Fortune - only for the midfielder to tuck in the rebound.
Wigan never recovered and by the time Fortune added a third, Albion minds were turning to Liverpool's visit and another great escape.
"We will give it everything we've got," added Mowbray.
Guardian Service
