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It has taken 22 games for West Bromwich Albion and nine games for Alan Pardew since his appointment in November but, finally, they both have a victory to celebrate. It was balmy summer evening when they last experienced this feeling, in late August at Accrington Stanley. Now, in a bleak and frozen midwinter in Devon, they have at last managed to repeat the trick and thereby progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup It may only have been against League Two Exeter City, when it is the Premier League where they really need to establish this winning habit. But given the circumstances, a win is a win: anything else would have been another crushing blow to beleaguered confidence. The near full-strength team Pardew fielded gave the game away. There were to be no chances takes here.
Steve Bruce's Aston Villa routed Championship play-off rivals Bristol City 5-0 at Villa Park on Monday. Scott Hogan put Villa ahead on 23 minutes before Robert Snodgrass made it 2-0 on 34 minutes. The 30-year-old former Leeds United and Norwich City striker added a second on the hour mark to make it 3-0. Iceland's Birkir Bjarnason then made it 4-0 with 18 minutes remaining before Conor Hourihane made it 5-0 to seal a comprehensive victory for the Villans.
As blue smoke rose from the away end after Junior Hoilett found the net late on for Cardiff City, Neil Warnock will have hoped it was not a metaphor for the way their season is going. Premature; the excitement came too soon — before deflation. Up went the offside flag to rule out the goal and extend the Bluebirds' run of Championship defeats to four in a row. Warnock was left fuming. He felt wronged by the decision, claiming the ball through was played by Queens Park Rangers' Josh Scowen.
Steve Morison scored his first goal in 25 Millwall appearances to ensure Ian Holloway had a night of misery. The former Lions boss was abused before and during his first return to his former club with new side QPR as fans refused to forgive him for his part in the South Londoners' relegation three seasons ago. And Holloway, sporting a grey flat cap, watched as Morison finally ended his own personal horror show, with his first goal of the season and first since he scored the winner over Bradford in last year's League One play-off final.
Sheffield Wednesday claimed a seventh straight Championship victory over Nottingham Forest as they responded to the departure of Carlos Carvalhal with a deserved success at the City Ground. Mark Warburton's side had been in good form at home — winning five of their previous six games here — but their awful run against the Owls was maintained as they failed to find their killer touch, and Wednesday ruthlessly found their own.
Watford came back from a goal down to secure a Boxing Day victory over Leicester as former Foxes loanee Molla Wague was on hand to haunt his old side. Wague was at the King Power on loan last season but failed to make a Premier League appearance in an injury-ravaged spell in England. He was back on Tuesday though, and netted the equaliser for Watford. Riyad Mahrez had earlier opened the scoring for Leicester, but the match was decided by Kasper Schmeichel, whose own goal ensured the Hornets enjoyed a happy Boxing Day at Vicarage Road.
So rare had scoring a goal become for Brighton, when Pascal Gross’ shot sneaked under Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, Mathew Ryan simply could not resist. The Seagulls stopper sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates in the opposite corner as they secured their first Premier League home win since September. Brighton had scored just once in their last six league fixtures – a Glenn Murray spot-kick during a 5-1 defeat by Liverpool – but they have a little relief at last.
When the new broom arrives, there’s going to be just a little less mess to clean up. A pigsty, yes, but not quite as filthy as it was. A draw at home against Crystal Palace might not seem like a great deal because it isn’t. But when you are falling towards the Championship at such a mind-scrambling pace, anything other than defeat feels like a gift wrapped in a bow. The fact that this point came courtesy a late equaliser, and a screamer from Jordan Ayew to boot, means there might also be some semblance of morale in the squad over Christmas now. For that, the new manager, whoever he may be, ought to be grateful.