Source: FOOTYMAD
Reaction delights Di Matteo
Boss pleased to maintain home record Roberto Di Matteo admitted his delight at Albion’s response to their opening day defeat at Chelsea following the Baggies’ 1-0 win over Sunderland. The Baggies bounced-back in style with debutant Peter Odemwingie netting the winner nine minutes from time against the Black Cats. The victory erased the memories of last week’s drumming, maintained Albion’s unbeaten home record and put three valuable points on the board for Di Matteo’s men. “We were looking for a reaction from the team and I think they responded very well today," the Italian said. “It was a great performance and a deserved win for us. “We’ve got a pretty good record at home. “It was very pleasing today. “We also got a clean sheet and maybe could have scored a second goal. “You can't ask for more from your players. “We played a very good game against a very good team. “A lot has been made about last week’s defeat but I always had belief in my players. “They played some fantastic stuff today.” New-boy Peter Odemwingie capped a fantastic debut with his first goal in Albion colours and Di Matteo admitted his gamble to start the Nigerian international paid off. “Peter only trained once with us yesterday so it was a bit of a gamble to start him today,” he continued. “We just thought we'd throw him in at the deep end and see how long he could last. “He certainly gave us a threat up front. “He's not just an individual player - he works hard for the team too. “I took the gamble because he is a quality player. “He has some ability and gives us something different. “He showed that today and also scored, which is great for him. “We've been tracking Peter for some time and it wasn't easy to get him. “We also only got the international clearance for the deal late last night.”
