West Bromwich Albion got back to winning ways with a gritty 1-0 win against Norwich City at Carrow Road. Goalkeeper Josh Griffiths put in a Player of the Match performance that secured the victory. His series of crucial stops helped keep Norwich out of the goal. The match played out on a crisp fall night. Both teams battled tooth and nail for every point, appreciative of the implications on the league table.
West Brom found it difficult to break Norwich down in the early stages of the game. Griffiths delivered and showed immense character to keep them alive. He demonstrated his goalkeeping skills by saving several shots from the visitors’ forwards. Those skills were on full display, particularly on the defensive end against guys like Jovon Makama and Ante Crnac.
Griffiths’ Stellar Performance
Griffiths went on to make a series of excellent stops in the game which went on to be pivotal in West Brom’s win. The highlight of his lightning reflexes came as he superbly parried a header from Jovon Makama. He saved what seemed to be an uncontested goal. Less than five minutes later, he denied Ante Crnac and showed his shot-stopping prowess, able to react quickly to dangers ahead of him.
The young keeper’s confidence continued to grow as he produced an excellent one-handed stop against Emi Marcondes’ low drive from a narrow angle. This save proved decisive in keeping West Brom’s lid on proceedings and gave them the impetus required to go on and soar.
Five minutes into the second half, Griffiths was at it again. He was able to recover to face down a fierce 25-yard free-kick from Marcondes. He stood tall and made arguably his second-best stop on the night. This performance established him as the most important cog in the West Brom wheel.
“Obviously we are delighted with the three points but we had to suffer for it tonight. We were up against a good side and I think luck was with us at times.” – Ryan Mason
Maja’s Winning Goal
While Griffiths’ heroics were pivotal, it was Josh Maja who ultimately secured the win for West Brom with a single goal. Maja wasn’t going to miss the second opportunity, assisted by Samuel Iling-Junior and Isaac Price in the build-up. With wonderful technique, he curled the ball around Norwich’s goalkeeper to give West Brom the important lead they were craving.
The strike couldn’t have come at a better time for West Brom. This allowed them to really commit to their pressing defensive game plan, with Griffiths leading the charge in preventing any potential Norwich attacks. Maja’s timely strike ensured maximum points for the team. It lifted the weight of what they had been under after a difficult stretch.
Managerial Perspectives
After the match, West Brom manager Ryan Mason expressed satisfaction with the result but acknowledged the challenges faced during the game. He credited Griffiths’ performance as the crucial reason for winning the match over Djurgårdens IF. He was firm though that these experiences would play a major role in Griffiths’ development.
Norwich City manager Liam Manning withhold judgment on Griffiths specifically. Instead, he downplayed the importance of style points in football and praised the overall body of work his squad produced. Manning stated, “We are in a results business and not winning at home is not good enough. It’s not a record anyone would want.”
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