West Brom 0 Norwich 1 - Report and pictures
West Brom's eight-game unbeaten home run came to a disappointing end today with Norwich's first win in 12 matches, writes Matt Wilson at the Hawthorns.
[gallery]
Back to their uninspiring worst after a recent impressive run of form, the Baggies were beaten by a Robbie Brady goal five minutes after half-time.
The Irish winger swept home the winner from eight yards out on his return from injury with Norwich's first shot on target.
The ball fell kindly to him in the box after Jonny Evans and Gareth McAuley had tackled Matt Jarvis.
Tony Pulis' team should have taken the lead in a dominant opening 20 minutes, but their ideas petered out after that.
Even though Norwich rarely troubled goalkeeper Ben Foster, Albion didn't deserve anything out the game.
Alex Neil's side had lost their last six successive away matches in the Premier League, scoring just one goal on that run.
But this win was a huge victory for the Canaries, who have crucial home games against Sunderland and Newcastle coming up.
Fortunately Albion are not in any relegation danger, so the result is not catastrophic.
ALBION (4-4-1-1): Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson (McClean 60), Evans, Sessegnon (Lamberty 86), Yacob, Fletcher (c), Gardner (Pritchard 72), Berahino, Rondon.
Unused subs: Myhill (gk), Chester, Anichebe, Sandro.
Norwich City (4-4-1-1): Ruddy; Martin (c), Klose, Bassong, Olsson, Jarvis (Pinto 90+3), Howson, O'Neil, Brady (Odjidja-Ofoe 76), Bamford (Naismith 72), Mbokani.
Unused subs: Rudd (gk), Jerome, Hoolahan, Dorrans.
Attendance: 25,039[/breakout]
But it was certainly a disappointing day at the Hawthorns, considering the team's recent red-hot form that catapulted them up the table and turned thoughts towards the top half.
Pulis made one change from the victory over Manchester United a fortnight ago, bringing in Jonny Evans in at left-back in place of James Chester.
Neil had to make do without injured pair Nathan Redmond and Ryan Bennett, so he started Sebastien Bassong at centre-back and brought Robbie Brady back from injury to play on the wing.
Dieumerci Mbokani came in for Wes Hoolahan and started up front with Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford.
Former Baggies midfielder Graham Dorrans made the bench, but Youssouf Mulumbu wasn't in the squad.
After a minute's applause for former Albion striker Dave Walsh, who died earlier this week aged 92, the home side got the game underway.
Buoyed by their recent run of form, the Baggies zipped the ball about early on, and John Ruddy had to rush off his line to beat Saido Berahino to a Salomon Rondon ball over the top.
But the first real chance fell to Norwich in the fifth minute when referee Anthony Taylor incorrectly blew up for a foul by Craig Dawson on Brady.
Fortunately for the official, the Irishman curled the set piece over the bar.
Rondon started the day with four goals in his last six Premier League games, and the Venezuelan was full of beans early on.
He rolled Martin Olsson on the edge of the box, before firing a left-footed shot wide via a small deflection off Bassong.
Albion's striker then cut out a John Ruddy pass but fortunately for the Norwich keeper, his defenders recovered, and Darren Fletcher's eventual shot was blocked.
The Canaries looked nervy, and were playing like a team with eight defeats in 10 games, while Albion continued to ask questions of their defence.
Berahino was the next to let fly, beating Bassong with a step-over after Dawson's raking pass from the back, but the 22-year-old's shot ballooned over.
The Baggies were getting closer, and next up was Claudio Yacob, who was having yet another commanding game in central midfield.
He came within a whisker of netting a screamer in the 19th minute when he fired Rondon's lay-off at a corner inches wide of the upright from 20 yards out.
[related_posts title="More on West Brom"]
But Albion's dominance petered out after that and they allowed Norwich to grow into the game.
On two separate occasions, the Baggies were forced to mop up mistakes by Jonas Olsson when the big Swede needlessly gave away possession in dangerous areas.
Neil's side failed to threaten Foster's goal though, and two minutes before half-time they nearly gifted Albion an opener.
Gary O'Neil had been playing well up until then, but Stephane Sessegnon pounced on his sloppy sideways pass and drove into the box before flashing his shot wide.
It was the best chance of a lacklustre first-half.
But, five minutes into the second half, the relegation-threatened side took the lead with their first shot on target.
Mbokani had been ineffective up until this point, but the Congolese striker broke down the left wing and squared the ball to Matt Jarvis.
The former Wolves winger had his shot blocked but the ball fell kindly to Brady in the box, and he tucked the ball under Foster.
[comments_cta header="What do you think?" text= "How did you rate the West Brom performance today?" button="Log in and start commenting"]
The Canaries had their tails up and Bamford brought down Brady's high header in the box, before turning on the spot and shooting wide.
Olsson was put out of his misery on the hour mark, brought off for James McClean who went to left-back as Pulis shuffled Evans inside.
Brady drew the ire of the home crowd with a long spell on the floor after a heavy tumble.
That brought stretchers onto the pitch before deciding he was OK to continue, but the goalscorer did eventually go off in the 76th minute.
Pulis threw Alex Pritchard on to try and add some creative spark to his side, but Norwich looked more threatening than the Baggies in the closing stages.
Jonny Howson nearly diverted Steven Naismith's cross past Foster in injury time with his midriff, but the Albion keeper clutched onto the ball.
A well-timed Bassong tackle denied Rondon late on after a deft flick through from Pritchard but in truth, Albion failed to carve out a real chance in a flat second-half.
