Bilic happy with West Brom form and is confident goals will soon start to flow

Posted Thursday, August 22, 2019 by PA

West Brom boss Slaven Bilic insists the Baggies are close to clicking after they were held at home by Reading.

Kenneth Zohore’s late penalty, after Ovie Ejaria clipped Filip Krovinovic, salvaged a 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns.

Liverpool loanee Ejaria’s superb 71st-minute opener looked to have given the Royals all three points.

Albion are yet to win at home this term but sit sixth in the early Sky Bet Championship table and Bilic believes they are close to a breakthrough.

He said: “We deserved to equalise and we just simply ran out of time. We deserved much more based on this performance.

“We are going to have ups and downs but am I happy with the way we are playing? Yes. I am not happy with the results because we should have more points than eight.

“Goals will come if we continue like this. When we are in this form we have to use that, the momentum.

“Since the start of the campaign we are playing well and this was our best game so far. I know it’s a results business but it’s also about the way we create and the quality of players on the pitch.

“I didn’t see they were hurting us that much. I said to the boys ‘be proud’, it was one point gained considering what the result was a few minutes before.”

Darnell Furlong and Krovinovic wanted penalties and Rafael Cabral denied Charlie Austin before Albion fell behind with 19 minutes left.

Ejaria found the top corner from the edge of the box for his first goal of the season.

Zohore was denied by an excellent block by Liam Moore as Albion tried to hit back before he netted from the spot with two minutes left.

Reading failed to earn successive wins after their 3-0 victory over Cardiff and Jose Gomes questioned the award of Albion’s penalty.

He said: “He (Ejaria) touched the ball, after he touched it there was contact. I don’t want to talk abut refereeing decisions, it happens in football. Ovie had a great game.

“When you have the three points in your pocket until the last minute you feel very disappointed. It’s a very good sign, leaving this stadium against one of the strongest teams, having this feeling.

“They couldn’t find the way to our goal because we defended very well. My players were brave in their defensive organisation.”