West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan intends to make his side's game in hand count tonight when he leads the Baggies to Bramall Lane hoping to spoil Sheffield United's promotion party. An away win would move Albion ahead of Sunderland in sixth place ahead of the final two games of the Championship season.
Tony Mowbray's side defeated West Brom 2-1 at the weekend to leapfrog the Midlands outfit but, with a game in hand, West Brom know a midweek win could swing the advantage back in their favour. Both clubs watched on as rivals Blackburn missed the chance to take three points from their extra match, losing 1-0 to Burnley on Tuesday night.
Sunderland host Watford on Saturday before going to Preston on the final day, while West Brom have the slightly trickier task of second-placed Sheffield United tonight, followed by play-off rivals Norwich and Swansea City. Corberan saw his proud home record - a run of six months without defeat at The Hawthorns - ended by Sunderland, who inflicted the first loss on the Baggies on home soil since, ironically, Sheffield United in October, but Albion have returned to winning ways on the road since and a third straight away victory would be most welcome.
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"Always you can reflect about the past or be thinking in the future, I always like to make the evaluation at the end of the season," he said. "It's true we had to fight a lot to move the team to the position we are right now when you arrive from a more difficult position you don't have a lot of gap [for error] and need to use every opportunity you have.
"Sunday was a clear one to be in a better position and we didn't do it, but fortunately we have another game, one game more than opponents, that gives us the opportunity to add another three points, and we always need to be focused to add three points on the pitch.
"The players put everything they had to win the game (against Sunderland) and we didn't do it. From this perspective - you always hate to lose games, but it's not the same when you see the team competing and giving the best.
"After that you can have mistakes, losing the ball, but the mistakes doesn't mean they didn't try their best, they gave what they have. Now, when you do that, you cannot go down too deep. You have another game and need to move on fast to the next one, because we have an opportunity to win three points.
"It's against a very good opponent, yes, but I respect every single team on the same level I knew how complicated it would be to play Sunderland because I analysed them a lot and know their level and how comfortable with the ball they are. I always say when you create one positive momentum you always want to keep it but in football momentum can change.
"The opponent is always going to challenge your good momentums. We created the right togetherness with the fans, played in the right spirit, but in football togetherness in spirit is not even enough. There are more aspects that they managed better than us and that's why they won the game."
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