Ryan Mason buoyed by West Brom 'personality and potential'
Ryan Mason was buoyed by a showing of "personality and potential" in his Albion ranks in the comeback win over Oxford.
Albion's form threatened to worsen as former loanee Will Lankshear prodded the U's ahead after half-time but the hosts hit back immediately to level and Aune Heggebo headed the winner in the final clash before the latest international break.
Head coach Mason, who had come under increased scrutiny, had admitted an unwillingness to feel sorry for themselves was his favourite part of the victory given the difficult nature of recent results.
It was a first win in five for the ailing Baggies and just a third in 11 games and leaves them 14th in a compact Championship mid-table.
"Yes, I think when you look at our first half performance it shows we've got a lot of personality and a lot of potential," Mason said of a goalless first period which his side edged but once again lacked a cutting edge.
"We've still got room to grow, a lot of room to grow and we need to continue to work.
"When you go 1-0 down at home, with the nature and the manner in which it happened as well because they didn't really create a thing until that point and you concede and then the feeling could very easily turn.
"But I think the lads showed real discipline and commitment to what we wanted them to do. The players got what they deserved. We deserved to win that game without a doubt and I'm happy we got the three points."
Two first-half openings summed up goal-shy Albion's lack of penetration as striker Josh Maja neglected to shoot first-time from five yards and nobody was in place to turn in star man Mikey Johnston's inviting low cross.
"We had so many of those situations and it's a big part of our game and some of the stuff we work on," added Mason.
"I think there was one in the first half where it flashed across the front of the goal and it's something we need to improve with the players, arriving in those areas and keep committing to it."