Brandon Tomas-Asante confident in reaching major West Brom achievement
Brandon Thomas-Asante is targeting a first Albion hat-trick with the authorities set to rule on his Saturday two-goal effort.
The Baggies 10-goal top scorer, 25, smashed in two fine goals as Carlos Corberan’s side put Blackburn to the sword 4-1 last weekend. He was inches from a treble, but for Dom Hyam’s apparent final touch amid a scramble and an apparent own goal.
Thomas-Asante took home the match ball on the off-chance the goal goes his way, but he is now eyeing a first Albion hat-trick to push on the fifth-placed Baggies.
“A couple, I’ve got two match balls at home,” he said of previous trebles. “Both of them came while playing for Salford. “This would’ve been my first West Brom hat-trick – so we need to make it happen!”
“Is it 10 or 11?” He laughed. “I wouldn’t say (I’m on target), the team have provided other chances which I wish I’d put away.”
Referee Stephen Martin said post-match he had stated Thomas-Asante had netted the game’s third goal in his match report and it would be up to the authorities to confirm if it was a hat-trick, or indeed an own goal.
Thomas-Asante might have been away in Africa this month but missed the final cut for Ghana’s African Cup of Nations squad.
In entering double figures for goals on Saturday he surpassed his nine-goal haul from last season’s debut campaign in blue and white stripes.
He revealed he has been working over time with Corberan’s coaches, specifically first-team coach Michael Hefele, the former Huddersfield defender, to work on his finishes.
“A few of the chances I could’ve done better with – me and the coaches, Heff in particular, we replicate it in training to see if we can cancel it and be more confident in the future.
“We’ve been going at it. You always want more goals.
“I scored an identical goal (to his first and Albion’s second) for Salford against Bradford, from that angle.
“Hitting across the keeper, I felt confident with the contact and I was happy with the finish.”
Corberan’s troops were ruthlessly efficient in chalking up successive 4-1 home wins in FA Cup and Championship action. They were 3-0 up in 33 minutes with the contest effectively over.
Albion remain fifth but strengthened their position and now have a five-point gap to the play-off chasers.
“Yes, I think we’ve sent out a marker,” added the Baggies striker. “We have to take that into the rest of the season.
“Let’s keep pushing, but getting back into the Premier League is what we’re looking for.”
