West Brom 0 Blackburn 2: Damaging defeat as Baggies beaten at home by play-off rivals

Tony Mowbray's men were beaten at The Hawthorns for the first time in 12 games as Blackburn, without Derby-bound boss John Eustace in the dugout, leapfrogged their hosts into fifth.

It was a night to forget for all in blue and white stripes but none more so than goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, who was at fault for Makhtar Gueye's opener and might have done better for the striker's second.

Both goals came in 16 second-half minutes after a low-key first half in which Mowbray's men created next-to-nothing while attempting to build on the high of Saturday's last-gasp win.

But a defensive capitulation followed the interval as Wildsmith let Gueye's volley slip through his hands before the Baggies conceded a desperate second against the side overseen by Rovers backroom staff with Eustace about to exit.

Albion had two goals disallowed between Blackburn's first and second, one for a foul and one for offside and may have had a case with at least one, but there was no defending a poor showing.

With some tricky away fixtures on the horizon, beginning at Millwall, the Baggies are still searching for first back-to-back wins since September.

The opening half hour passed with little to report on what felt like a strangely low-key evening given the clubs' respective positions.

Blackburn midfielder John Buckley caught the eye and drilled wide early on before right-back Callum Brittain sent a volleyed cross-shot well over.

Albion had more of the ball but their approach was static and lacked urgency at times. Mowbray's men forced the pass on occasion, at other times accuracy or care in the touch lacked.

The Baggies did come within inches of an opener through the head of defender Torbjorn Heggem on 20 minutes. He connected well to Isaac Price's delivery from the right but the right post came to Blackburn's rescue.

There was some catching practice for Albion goalkeeper Wildsmith to keep out a stinging Tyrhys Dolan drive in a forgettable first period.

The first period was uninspiring from a Baggies perspective, but the second half went from bad to worse very quickly.

The visitors might have had a penalty for the returning Mason Holgate's recovery challenge on Gueye - but from the resulting corner Rovers' No.9 pounced.

Buckley's corner was met by Dom Hyam and Gueye struck a back-post volley hit true enough but allowed to slip through the fingers of Wildsmith. Darnell Furlong might have obstructed the goalkeeper, but it was a poor error straight through his grasp.

Gueye almost bagged a second minutes later. He was released down the right and cracked the crossbar with a rising drive that bounced out just before the goalline with the hosts rattled.

Albion almost hit back and might've equalised but for a controversial call from the officials. Isaac Price's corner was nodded in by former Rover Adam Armstrong but referee David Webb spotted a minor nudge on Hyam and quickly whistled for a foul.

Mowbray reacted swiftly and replaced his starting wingers Tom Fellows and Mikey Johnston with Will Lankshear and Grady Diangana. Armstrong drifted left with Lankshear leading the line.

The Tottenham loanee thought he had his side level on the hour with a neat finish from Price's delivery. The assistant's flag was raised swiftly and replays showed just about the right call.

Seconds later Blackburn had a second as the home side gifted another.

Skipper Lewis Travis lofted in a deep cross from the right that tempted Wildsmith. The keeper came five yards but retreated and ended in no man's land. It found ex-Baggie Andi Weimann at the back post who squared for Gueye. The Senegalese had all the time in the world to lift in a finish.

Mowbray introduced Jed Wallace and John Swift but the contest already felt beyond Albion.

As the home faithful drifted to understandable early exits their side created next to nothing in a meek finale.

Skipper Wallace had a free-kick deflected wide and fired over. Furlong's late header was tipped over by the untested Aynsley Pears as the managerless visitors were comfortable in rare home disappointment at The Hawthorns.

Albion (4-3-3): Wildsmith; Furlong (c), Holgate, Heggem, Styles; Mowatt (Swift, 70), Molumby, Price (Wallace, 70); Fellows (Diangana, 55), Armstrong, Johnston (Lankshear, 55).

Subs not used: Griffiths, Frabotta, Ajayi, Diakite, Cole.

Blackburn (4-2-3-1): Pears; Brittain, Hyam, Batth (Sanderson, 42), Ribeiro; Buckley (Forshaw, 88), Travis (c); Dolan (Kargbo, 88), Weimann (Cantwell, 64), Hedges (Cozier-Duberry, 64); Gueye.

Subs not used: Toth, Rankin-Costello, Dennis, Woodrow.

Referee: David Webb