ALBION marked their return to Sky Bet Championship action with a 2-1 triumph over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
The Friday-night clash was the Baggies' first outing since November's international break but they picked up where they left off against Leeds United at The Hawthorns last time out.
Jay Rodriguez and Harvey Barnes fired the Baggies into a two-goal lead before Kayden Jackson set up a grandstand finish with a late response.
Darren Moore named an unchanged XI from the 4-1 victory over Marcelo Bielsa's men and deployed the same system in Suffolk against the league's bottom club.
The visitors saw the better of the first-half action, Rodriguez flicking a header over the crossbar from close range before Barnes flashed an effort wide of the mark.
Ahmed Hegazi, who was imperious at the heart of Albion's defence, should have done better with a clear sight of goal but was spared any blushes by team-mate Rodriguez who opened the scoring midway through the opening period.
Lax Ipswich defending allowed Matt Phillips time and space to float a ball in the direction of Kieran Gibbs at the back post. He nodded back across goal to allow Rodriguez a simple tap-in with 27 minutes on the clock.
In truth, the England international could have had a hat-trick, first failing to convert from inside the area after a mazy run from Barnes and fluffing his lines when one-on-one with Bartosz Bialkowski in the Town goal.
The hosts came on strongly as the hour mark approached, with two corners causing havoc in the Albion penalty area and Trevoh Chalobah fizzing a drive left of the upright.
But it was a devastating Albion counter-attack that sealed the points with just over ten minutes remaining. Barnes, who had earlier struck a post, cut inside from the right to fire past Bialkowski and add a second after more fine work from the excellent Matt Phillips.
Jackson nipped in to steal the ball from the feet of Tosin Adarabioyo and pull a late goal back for the hosts but Albion held on to claim all three points and move up to second in the table.
ALBION: Johnstone, Adarabioyo, Dawson, Hegazi, Gibbs; Phillips, Livermore (c), Morrison (Barry 89); Robson-Kanu (Gayle 75), Rodriguez, Barnes.
Subs: Myhill, Mears, Townsend, Hoolahan, Harper.
