Savage on target as Albion win

11:59pm Tuesday 2nd October 2007

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Bournemouth 0, Albion 2.

Bas Savage may be unorthodox, even clumsy at times, but life is rarely dull with Albion's moonwalking front man in the side.

Savage began the night doubled up in eye-watering agony after blocking a cross where it hurts.

He ended the evening as the architect of Albion's first victory for 12 years at rock-bottom and injury-ravaged Bournemouth.

The former Gillingham man set up Dean Cox's third goal of the season straight after half time.

Savage then scored himself, with former Reading team-mate Nicky Forster the supplier, to clinch a first away victory of the season for Dean Wilkins' troops.

Just for good measure, Savage also collected a late booking for the Seagulls.

They were not especially impressive but it was very much a case of job done at a ground where they had picked up only a point in their four previous league visits.

Albion, fresh from their first away clean sheet since March at Swansea, were pretty comfortable in the first half without posing too much of a threat themselves.

Nicky Forster, yet to hit top form since his summer move from Hull, seemed determined to end a run of four games without a goal in the early stages.

In the second minute, Dean Cox picked him out with a long ball out of defence and Forster's shot from the edge of the area forced Neil Moss, Bournemouth's recalled goalkeeper, to make a routine save.

Forster also narrowly failed to connect with a header from a cross by Andrew Whing and a right-foot volley at the near post from a Dean Hammond centre fizzed wide of the target.

The Seagulls' encouraging start petered out and Bournemouth came into the game more as the first half wore on.

The diminutive Jo Kuffour, who scored the winner against Albion for Brentford last season, had a chance to put the home side ahead after 26 minutes.

Slack marking left him in space 12 yards out but Kuffour headed over.

Matt Richards, making his third appearance for the Seagulls on loan from Ipswich, was given one or two problems by Bournemouth's young right winger Max Gradel, borrowed from Leicester.

Fortunately for the Seagulls, Gradel's promising approach work often lacked an end product, although one low cross caused mild panic.

Darren Anderton's resulting drive from just inside the area was blocked before the ball ended up harmlessly on the roof of the net.

The Seagulls survived optimistic appeals for a penalty shortly before the break.

Anderton's pass was cleverly flicked on by Lee Bradbury into the path of Danny Hollands.

The midfielder went down under a challenge from Tommy Elphick. There was a suspicion of handball but referee Jarnail Singh saw nothing untoward.

Bournemouth went into the interval in the ascendancy, which was disappointing from Albion's perspective.

They had not done enough to worry a side short on confidence after dropping to the foot of the table with Saturday's home defeat by Carlisle.

The Seagulls needed to re-assert and they did just that only 17 seconds into the restart.

Bas Savage, playing again on the right wing, pulled back a low cross for Cox to score with a swivelling right-foot shot from ten yards which Moss got a hand to but could not keep out.

Fittingly, it brought to an end Albion's away goal drought stretching back eight-and-half hours to Cox's early strike on the opening day at Crewe.

The response from a deflated Bournemouth was minimal. Bradbury headed straight at Michel Kuipers from an Anderton free-kick before Albion doubled their advantage midway through the second half.

Forster beat Marc Wilson close to the byline and his cross was tapped in from close range by Savage.

Cue the trademark moonwalk celebration in front of the delighted Albion fans. They have not seen it for a while.

Jake Robinson was not in Albion's unchanged squad - for a routine reason this time.

Robinson, dropped at Swansea following a row with Wilkins, suffered a knock in training.

Savage has made it even harder for him now to win back a starting place.

Albion: Michel Kuipers; Andy Whing, Tommy Elphick, Guy Butters, Matt Richards; Bas Savage, George O'Callaghan, Dean Hammond, Dean Cox; Alex Revell, Nicky Forster.

Subs: Adam El-Abd for O'Callaghan (withdrawn, 80), Doug Loft for Cox (withdrawn, 87), John Sullivan, Sam Rents, Nathan Elder.

Bournemouth: Neil Moss; Paul Telfer, Josh Gowling, Jason Pearce, Marc Wilson; Max Gradel, Darren Anderton, Garreth O'Connor, Danny Hollands; Jo Kuffour, Lee Bradbury.

Subs: Sam Vokes for O'Connor (withdrawn, 68), Shaun Cooper for Hollands (withdrawn, 85), Asmir Begovic, Brett Pitman, Joe Partington.

Referee: Jarnail Singh (Middlesex).

Attendance: 4,638.

What did you think of Albion's performance?