Albion’s PL2 side produced a treat of a performance on Halloween night as they swept Stoke City aside 4-0 to secure a fourth win in five league games.
Jovan Malcolm and Reyes Cleary both bagged braces in the torrential rain at Hednesford Town’s Keys Park as Richard Beale’s youngsters strengthened their play-off hopes with another emphatic result.
Albion produced a scarily good start and spooked Stoke with two early strikes to seize control in Staffordshire.
Malcolm got things rolling with a tremendous effort from 25 yards after just four minutes. The striker picked up possession, turned onto his right foot and buried the ball into the bottom corner past the flying Tommy Simkin between the sticks for the Potters.
Hesitant defending at the back allowed the Baggies to double their advantage. Right-back Tom Curle let the ball bounce over his head where Cleary was waiting to pounce on the edge of the six-yard box to make it 2-0.
The visitors had three chances to reduce the deficit before the half-hour mark following the two Albion goals, but Ted Cann made a trio of smart stops, most noticeably from forward Emre Tezgel.
Goalscorers Malcolm and Cleary tried their luck at the other end of the pitch with a header and a long-range attempt respectively, but they both saw the ball sail over the bar.
Richard Beale’s youngsters repeated the trick of scoring early in the first half by adding another goal less than two minutes into the second period.
Ethan Ingram was played in down the right side of the box and he laid on a perfect cross for Malcolm to slot his second into an empty net.
More nightmare Stoke defending led to Albion’s fourth of the night, which came just six minutes after their third. A loose pass was picked up by Cleary who rifled in a first-time strike with his right foot from 20 yards.
The Baggies and the Potters tried to carve out opportunities deeper into the second half but the relentlessly poor conditions made proceedings difficult for both sets of players, with the hosts closing the contest out and easing to yet another high-scoring PL2 triumph.
ALBION: Cann; Hall, Nguepissi, Harper-Bailey; Ingram, Whitwell, M.Richards (Mfuamba HT), Ashworth © (Humphries 57); R.Richards (Higgins 57), Malcolm, Cleary (Wangussi 57).
Subs: Cisse (GK).
