West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan called on his players to display a “specialist mentality” after a 1-0 win over lowly Wigan at The Hawthorns.
Daryl Dike’s 27th-minute header – his third goal in two home games – closed the gap to the Sky Bet Championship play-offs to four points with this return to winning ways after Friday’s defeat to Hull.
The American striker started the move and finished it, nodding home after he held up play from Jed Wallace’s pass then released Jayson Molumby for a cross that goalkeeper Ben Amos palmed onto the crossbar.
Corberan’s side were good value for their victory as Dike, Wallace and John Swift also hit the woodwork.
But they made hard work of it as Wigan substitute Tom Pearce – who was only named in their 18-man squad just before the game following an injury to Jack Whatmough – forced Josh Griffiths to tip over his spectacular volley at the death.
Corberan wants Albion to be more clinical but accepts results are all-important at this stage of the season.
“When you don’t perform well, you put the result at risk,” said the Spaniard. “I think we’ve moved to a point in the Championship now where you have to have a specialist mentality to meet the moments, otherwise fatigue will tell.
“In this period the number of possibilities for the squad have been reduced so the tiredness increases.
“In these type of situations fatigue can start to play an important part, especially in the second halves of games, and this is something we need to avoid.
“I feel if we had scored a second goal, we would have been watching a different game. The fact we didn’t score again increased the anxiety and negativity and we started to play worse.”
Dike’s goal was his third in two home games and his sixth of the season and Corberan praised the American’s contribution.
“He scores with an action that demands instinct of the striker,” he said. “The striker needs to be in the key position, at the key moment – and he was there. If he isn’t in that position at this moment, there’s no goal.
“I’m pleased because he made a lot of effort, and in front of him he has a lot of games to make more effort too. Now he moves to one period where a strong mentality is going to be key for him.”
Wigan manager Shaun Maloney admitted the game for his side was lost at half-time.
“I was really disappointed with the first half,” he said.
“I just felt it was not what we were looking for, particularly in the position we’re in. I felt the first half just drifted by for us and we can’t afford that.
“In the second half, we were a lot more aggressive with how we were looking to take the play and attack.
“I thought the substitutions were excellent and they were creating chances – they were quite attacking at times and had chances. They had a positive impact on the team.”
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