West Brom analysis: Familiar struggles ensure big Baggies setback

Jayson Molumby had just taken the roof off the away end at Home Park. The Albion substitute had not been on long, but he showed typical heart, spirit and energy to charge on to Jed Wallace's cross to bundle in the long-awaited breakthrough 15 minutes from time in Devon.

The 1,700 travelling Baggies just behind the goal, many of whom had travelled either on Friday or were up at 4am due to Sky TV's ridiculous scheduling, celebrated suitably.

The deadlock had taken some time to be broken and it did not exactly feel like it had been coming for Tony Mowbray's visitors.

Albion may have - as expected - monopolised possession against their rock-bottom hosts, but they only managed 11 shots as a result and just four on target. It was hard going against a very well-drilled and resilient back five. Most of the time the hosts had 10 men behind the ball.

But Molumby's opener felt significant - or at least it did for about two minutes.

Referee Dean Whitestone decided shortly afterwards the hosts should be awarded a penalty as a Ryan Hardie strike cannoned into Callum Styles from barely two yards away. The ball hit the upper torso of Albion's left-back before deflecting on to his arm. It was so harsh. The handball ruling once again highlighted as farcical.

Hardie buried the penalty to knock the stuffing out of Mowbray's men, who failed to recover. The worst was yet to come as Hardie - who had not scored since September - profited from some haphazard defending to finish well just two minutes from time.

A defeat in Devon left Albion's home victory over Portsmouth seven days earlier feeling like a distant memory.