West Brom inflicted just a second Championship defeat of the season on Ipswich and became the first team to stop the Tractor Boys scoring in a league match as they ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.
Darnell Furlong headed the hosts in front after just five minutes from Matt Phillips’ corner. Albion started the second half quickly, too, and doubled their advantage in the 47th minute through a well-worked counter-attack finished off by Grady Diangana.
It was a night when the Baggies only strengthened their own promotion credentials against Kieran McKenna’s high-fliers.
While fellow pace-setters Leicester returned to winning ways earlier in the day with a straightforward victory over Watford, Ipswich were also motivated by Leeds dropping points at Rotherham on Friday night and the opportunity to extend the gap to the chasing pack.
They were behind, though, within five minutes at The Hawthorns. Jed Wallace’s excellent cross from the right was just out of reach of Brandon Thomas-Asante, but the hosts nodded themselves in front from the following corner. Phillips delivered to the near post and Furlong tore away to meet it before glancing the ball into the far corner.
Albion had conceded just a single goal across their last five home matches before Saturday evening so Ipswich – who had lost just one of their first 16 league outings on their return to the Championship – would have to produce what many of their rivals had failed to.
West Brom, under Carlos Corberan, are mounting a top-six effort of their own and can be a belligerent unit on home soil.
McKenna’s side had few openings in the first half in which the home side were content to allow the visitors to see more of the ball. They were then sucker-punched at the beginning of the second half.
From their own corner, Ipswich were undone. West Brom broke away from deep inside their own half and the front three of Wallace, Thomas-Asante and Diangana combined. Thomas-Asante slipped Diangana in, inside the area, and he applied the finishing touch.
West Brom really should have killed the game moments later. Wallace was again sent sprinting down the right and he sprung into the penalty area. The Albion captain’s low cross ought to have been tapped in from close range by fellow winger Phillips, but he actually diverted the ball away from goal.
It would not prove costly as West Brom were good value for victory and might have won by more, but what they did produce was enough to send them up to fifth.
