Source: FOOTYMAD
Di Matteo pleased with late Barnsley strike
Boss happy to keep unbeaten run going Roberto Di Matteo again saw his Albion side find a late equaliser which continued the Baggies’ unbeaten run. Graham Dorrans’ 18th goal of the season in the 92nd minute extended Albion’s 12-game streak without defeat and ensured no team completed a victory double over the Throstles. In a typical end of season fixture Di Matteo’s promotion winning outfit struggled to find any rhythm and fell behind in the 59th minute after Hugo Colace was left unmarked from a free-kick. The Baggies huffed and puffed but could not find a way past a well organised Barnsley defence marshalled by former Hawthorns hero Darren Moore. However after ‘Big Dave’ was substituted to a standing ovation, Graham Dorrans again came to Albion’s rescue to earn another late point. "We're pleased we didn't lose and kept a nice run going until the end of the season,” said the Italian. "It would have been nice to win but the fact everything was already decided meant the players never got into the kind of gear they needed. "The Barnsley goal sparked our players a little bit. You could see the reaction. "We didn't want to lose. "I'm delighted with the fact we managed to equalise at the end. "We kept our unbeaten run going and finished off the season on a positive note. "We were delighted we won promotion at Doncaster with three games to spare. "That was an amazing achievement for this group of players. "We've pushed them hard and it's been a great season for them. "The celebrations and medal presentation after the game were fully deserved. "The players have worked extremely hard this season. "Now, I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing against the best teams in the world and the chance to measure ourselves against the best players and managers. "It's going to be an exciting challenge for all of us."
