DARREN Moore has taken the rare step of singling out a player for special praise as he reflected on his team’s Championship start.
The Baggies’ Head Coach is delighted to have reached the October international break with a place among the promotion front-runners secured by a team which has shot to the top of the country’s scoring charts.
His team finished off with another demanding three games in a week with victory at Preston and then over Reading sandwiching the dramatic fightback for a point at Sheffield Wednesday.
Those seven points all came with Darren deprived of the services of Matt Phillips, who has been recovering from a thigh injury, and threw one of his low-key signings Tyrone Mears into the fray.
Tyrone returned to English football on a short-term deal after a lengthy spell in the MLS and Moore saluted the player’s contribution in such a demanding sequence of games.
“I really don’t like to single out players for special praise because it is always a group effort, a team effort,” he said.
“But I’ve got to make a point of mentioning Tyrone. He has come in and he has had to get his match fitness up to the levels needed and he’s then gone and played three games in a week.
“He’s been a big part of adding seven points to our total. It was his cross that got Dwight in for his first goal that helped us to go on and win the game against Reading. I’m delighted for him, really pleased that he showed that.”
Moore has made rest and recuperation a key feature of the international break before the players return to training to get ready for another rush of games - four in 15 days starting with the trip to Wigan on October 20.
Phillips and new recruit Bakary Sako are expected to be up to speed by then while the 30-minute input from 20-year-old Kyle Edwards, the latest graduate to the first team from the Academy, has also added to his calculations.
Darren added: “Kyle came on and we saw what he can produce and what he has to offer.
“It’s a talented group and when they put their minds to it and perform the way they can play, it’s a good team.
“But I can’t stress enough how much more work there is ahead of us.”