Robinson: Albion rue missed opportunity

Paul Robinson has admitted West Brom need to win their remaining three matches to have a realistic chance of Premiership survival.

Albion squandered a golden chance to put extra pressure on fourth-from-bottom Portsmouth by only sharing a goalless draw with Bolton at The Hawthorns last night.

It means they are still three points adrift of Harry Redknapp’s side heading into their final three games with Newcastle (away), West Ham (home) and Everton at Goodison Park on the last day of the season.

The Baggies had their opportunities to overcome Sam Allardyce’s side with Diomansy Kamara, also guilty of a costly miss in the recent derby at Birmingham, shooting wide from six yards against Wanderers.

Robinson believes failing to finish their goalscoring chances – Albion have netted just 28 goals in 34 league games – has proved costly throughout the season.

The left-back said: “It was a missed opportunity for us on Monday. We are disappointed because we knew we had to get three points. We collected a point and kept a clean sheet so we can take the plus points from that.

“But we’ve got to go and win our next three games now to make it happen and also hopefully Portsmouth will slip up and do us a favour.”

Robinson added: “We had chances but that’s the way it has been all season. We are creating chances and not finishing them. The opposition seem to do that quite easily.

“That’s the way it has gone for us this season and it is very difficult to take. But if we keep battling, keep playing like that and we get the luck with ricochets, grab a few goals and keep the clean sheets, we will be alright.

“We have got to keep focusing on ourselves. It is just down to us to get the results we need and whatever happens elsewhere, then fair enough. We just have to keep going.”

Robinson insisted: “I think it will be an even bigger escape if we achieve it than last year if it happens now. We have not got to worry about other teams. We have got to worry about ourselves.

“We have got to keep ourselves together as a group, keep working hard and try to get the results we need. We have just got to be positive now. We’ve got to go into every one of the last three games in that frame of mind.

“We have got to take the game to the opposition, try to get the results we can and see if the other results go our way. We’d settle for going to last day now and we’ll keep fighting to the end. That’s the way we are.”

Albion’s plight might have been more desperate had Bolton skipper Kevin Nolan not blazed over the bar from close range in injury-time.

But Nolan is confident Sam Allardyce’s side can still challenge for a UEFA Cup after halting a run of five successive league defeats.

He said: “We knew it was going to be tough. Albion are scrapping for their lives and we also needed the points. We’ve been on a slump ourselves. We had to get out of the rut and we have managed to do that.

“When you are playing with confidence, everything comes so easy and it comes natural to you.

"When you go five games without winning, it does knock you a bit.

“The lads have stuck together. We went to West Brom and did really well.

“We have never believed the chance of getting into Europe was gone. We are still in touching distance. We’ve got to make sure we get maximum points from the last four games.”