Alex McCarthy denies West Brom as Southampton secure first leg draw | Championship

“Breaking barriers since 1978” was the message on the big screens in the seconds before kick-off, a nod to Laurie Cunningham, Brendan Batson and Cyril Regis, a trio of West Bromwich Albion characters credited with changing the face of the game. At the end of that play-off semi-final, West Brom were left wondering what might have been after failing to find a way past Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who ensured Friday’s second leg was well prepared.

Both teams will look back on the 78th minute as a moment when things could have turned in their favour. McCarthy made a great save to deny Grady Diangana after Tom Fellows burst down the right wing, going behind two Southampton players and put the ball in the plate of his teammate. Southampton went up the other end instantly and substitute Ross Stewart’s deflected shot looked set to beat Alex Palmer only for the West Brom keeper to dive to his left to tap the ball in with his right foot.

Before things got underway, Russell Martin hunkered down in the shadow of the far dugout to watch the closing stages of Norwich’s cunning race with Leeds on his phone, so the 99 minutes played here will come as no surprise. West Brom started with gusto. They won three corners in the first four minutes and had Southampton in their own half until Kyle Walker-Peters raced up, releasing Will Smallbone to win a corner and some time off.

After absorbing a relentless spell of pressure, Southampton set about making inroads of their own, Walker-Peters deflecting Conor Townsend’s cross into the corner before Palmer parried Flynn Downes’ strike. The West Ham Downs loanee nipped the ball on the touchline from Fellowes, played a one-two with Joe Aribo and then produced a superb save from Palmer. Adam Armstrong sends the rebound into the side netting. A few minutes later, Sekou Mara, replacing the injured Che Adams, sent an overhead kick wide.

West Brom came close to opening the scoring in the 33rd minute but McCarthy, who has been third-choice goalkeeper for most of this season, was unable to head Diangana. Fellows, a West Brom academy graduate, lifted an inviting cross from the right and Diangana, hardly known for his aerial ability, beat Downes, Walker-Peters and Taylor Harwood-Bellis with a shot, only for McCarthy to make a two-handed save before Downes smashed the ball into corner.

On the hour, Darnell Furlong fired wide with the studs of his right boot after meeting Celtic’s impressive Mikey Johnston’s cross. In the end, West Brom were left to nurse for a few near-moments. Southampton will be looking forward to resuming the game in the comfort of St Mary’s.