Goals either side of half time earned Albion an important 0-2 victory at Bristol City on Boxing Day.
Matty Phillips’ 10th minute finish, combined with Brandon Thomas-Asante’s second half stunner, ensured the Baggies got back to winning ways and claimed all three Sky Bet Championship points.
Next up Carlos Corberán’s team return to The Hawthorns in search of a fourth consecutive home victory, facing Preston North End this Thursday (December 29).
Albion’s Head Coach made two changes for the festive fixture, bringing in Jayson Molumby and Daryl Dike for Tom Rogic and Thomas-Asante.
The hosts were denied an early opener by Alex Palmer, the goalkeeper doing brilliantly to keep out Tommy Conway’s finish at point-blank range.
Instead, it was the Baggies who took the lead soon after when Conor Townsend’s perfect pass was coolly converted by Phillips, sending the 2,500 travelling supporters wild.
Albion soon survived another scare, Phillips inadvertently heading against his own crossbar from a City corner, before down the other end Townsend’s close-range poke was somehow cleared off the line during a spell of pressure where the visitors really should have netted a second.
The Robins piled on the pressure late in the first half without managing to find an equaliser, as Palmer again superbly denied Conway and defenders Dara O’Shea and Darnell Furlong bravely blocked a number of close-range shots.
Following the break it was, initially, a much quieter game. Substitutes Thomas-Asante and Grady Diangana were brought on to forge opportunities and did exactly that, the former forcing a good save from Max O’Leary and the latter hitting an effort into a wall of City defenders.
Thomas-Asante didn’t have to wait long for his goal, though. 15 minutes from time he was given the ball by fellow sub Rogic, and he produced a sumptuous long-range chip to wrap-up the triumph in style.
Palmer then made another good stop in added time to preserve his well-deserved clean sheet and send the Albion fans back up the M5 full of festive joy.
Albion: Palmer; Furlong, O’Shea, Pieters, Townsend; Molumby (Gardner-Hickman 82), Yokuslu; Wallace (Diangana 71), Swift (Rogic 64), Phillips (Grant 82); Dike (Thomas Asante 64).
Substitutes: Button, Ajayi.