West Brom 2-0 Bristol Metropolis

Mikey Johnston’s double inside 10 minutes gave West Brom a 2-0 dwelling win over Bristol Metropolis in Sunday’s Sky Guess Championship match at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies’ arrival from Celtic scored their first objective of the season after 34 minutes following a quiet opening to proceedings.

The winger then adopted up that effort with a classy end simply earlier than half-time as West Brom completed their closing dwelling recreation of 2024 victorious.

Bristol Metropolis, who haven’t gained at this venue since 1993, head into the Christmas interval with out having gained any of their earlier 4 matches.

John Swift appeared to shock Max O’Leary when West Brom took a fast free-kick, however the Robins goalkeeper managed to unconventionally push the diving drive away from objective.

Centre-half Kyle Bartley headed in the direction of the bar moments later, however the match, performed in typical winter circumstances with howling wind and pouring rain, began slowly – till the second of magic hosts.

Tom Fellows, behind Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz within the Championship assists rankings earlier than this recreation, scored an eighth objective of the marketing campaign when he positioned a cross on the sting of the penalty space. Regardless of his small measurement, Johnston headed in for his first objective of the season.

Issues obtained even higher for the Republic of Eire worldwide minutes later when West Brom trio Swift, Josh Maja and Alex Mowatt mixed in midfield to create one other opening for Johnston, who collected the ball on the left, lower inside and shot. a rasping strike past O’Leary.

The guests nearly responded earlier than half-time when Anis Mehmeti’s cross to the far publish discovered the pinnacle of Luke McNally, however Albion keeper Alex Palmer matched his modest effort and despatched the ball over the bar.

Nevertheless, Fally Mayulu gave Palmer a little bit extra meals for thought after the break when he headed a agency strike on the right track which required dealing with.

If Metropolis had hoped to achieve momentum to get again into the sport, the momentum they had been on the lookout for didn’t arrive.

Certainly, West Brom appeared extra doubtless so as to add to their complete, first by means of Maja after which Fellows. Substitute Uros Racic additionally stung O’Leary’s palms from the sting of the penalty space.

Within the closing phases, Devante Cole – West Brom’s summer season signing who made solely his seventh look as an alternative on this match – was fed by Grady Diangana however may solely push the ball past from the second publish all the best way.

Happily for him and West Brom, the job was accomplished.

The managers

Carlos Corberan of West Brom:

“Bristol Metropolis and us are going to be the groups that undergo throughout this era.

“Groups like Derby are going to play 4 video games in a row – we will play 5. They’ve every week for Thursday’s recreation, whereas we solely performed on Sunday.

“It is a bodily drawback. It is loopy. Taking part in towards a group at the moment of the season that has had two extra days of restoration is unfair.

“We can not say that we’re not aiming for outcomes, it’s my duty however it’s an excessive amount of.

“5 video games in a row. We must always not have performed at this time, figuring out the video games to come back. We must always have performed on Saturday, like the opposite groups within the Championship.

“We solely have three days in between and will probably be tough from a bodily perspective. It’s what it’s.”

Bristol Metropolis’s Liam Manning:

“The higher group positively gained, they had been higher than us. We had been a little bit passive at instances, caught between urgent and blocking.

“That is the issue while you disconnect. The house got here from counter-attacks. Once they turned it over, they had been very fast from their field to our field. We’ve to be higher and I have a look at myself in the beginning.

“They’re so properly organized defensively that it is a powerful spot to hit. We did not get into the fitting areas sufficient. We ended up getting knocked out.

“We’ve to react from Boxing Day. We’ve to win extra video games, it is so simple as that. On the finish of the day we’re within the enterprise of outcomes.

“We have to begin successful video games, we will not drift and miss too many. If you wish to proceed it is advisable to get again to again outcomes and we’ve not accomplished that sufficient.”