Albion 3 Crystal Palace 2 - Report and pictures

Craig Gardner started the fun in the 12th minute, following up a well-saved Salomon Rondon shot after a sweeping Albion move.

Craig Dawson added a second with a header eight minutes later, before Saido Berahino volleyed home Stephane Sessegnon's penetrating long pass on the half-hour to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Connor Wickham capitalised on a Jonas Olsson mistake three minutes into the second-half to make things interesting, before grabbing a brilliant second nine minutes from time that set up a tense finale.

But it was easily one of West Brom's best displays of the season, and Albion held on to the win that lifted Tony Pulis' side above his old team in the league and eased the growing pressure on the Baggies boss.

The home side were superb, particularly in the first-half, moving the ball around with lightning-quick precision.

Palace, on the other hand, have now lost seven out of their last eight league games, and having been fifth at Christmas, Alan Pardew's team continue to fall like a stone towards the relegation zone.

Before the game, Albion fans held a bucket collection outside The Hawthorns to raise money for two of Chris Brunt's chosen charities.

And a new banner honouring the left-back was unfurled in the Smethwick End just before kick-off.

Dawson and Gareth McAuley both returned to the starting line-up but Jonny Evans's hamstring injury ruled him out.

Albion (4-4-1-1): Foster, Dawson, Olsson, McAuley, Brunt (Chester 43), Gardner, Yacob, Fletcher (c), Sessegnon (McClean 74), Berahino, Rondon (Sandro 87).

Unused subs: Myhill, Anichebe, Lambert, Pritchard.

Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey; Kelly, Dann, Delaney (c), Ward; Zaha, Ledley, Cabaye (Gayle 80), Mutch; Wickham, Adebayor (Bolasie 45).

The Baggies started the game brightly, moving the ball along the floor with crisp, neat passes, and when they took the lead in the 12th minute it was very much deserved.

A superb move was started when Rondon laid the ball off to Berahino on the halfway line before turning and sprinting for goal.

Berahino found him with a pefectly-timed through ball and even though Wayne Hennessey got a sprawling boot to the Venzuelan's shot, Gardner was following up thre rebound and passed the ball into an empty net.

Berahino and Rondon looked like strangers last time out against Reading but their minds were locked together at the Hawthorns.

They nearly fashioned another chance with a one-two on the edge of the box before the Baggies extended their lead in the 20th minute.

If the first goal was a rare sweeping move not seen many times at The Hawthorns this season, the second was typical Albion.

Stephane Sessegnon loves to bamboozle defenders on the byline and the Benin international won a free-kick in a dangerous position with some trickery.

Gardner, who started on the left ahead of James McClean, turned provider with an inviting clip into the box which was met with a textbook downward header from Dawson.

The right-back has missed a few headers this season but he made no mistake with this one, powering it past Hennessey for his third goal of the campaign.

The Baggies looked strong and fresh. They were hungry for the ball and efficient in possession. On the half-hour mark Berahino added a third. It was the best of the lot.

The move started with McAuley fizzing a ball into Rondon on the half-way line.

He controlled it before laying off Sessegnon on the right wing, who drilled an inch-perfect 40-yard pass onto the penalty spot for Berahino to run onto.

The striker watched the ball carefully onto his left foot, sidefooting a clinical finish past Hennessey to put Albion in dreamland.

Berahino apologised this week for last summer's deadline day strike threat, and it seemed to go down well with the fans, who started the game singing his name.

But the best way to win back the fans will be with goals, and this one had quality written all over it.

So much of the build-up to this match surrounded the outpouring of love for Brunt, but the left-back's afternoon was cut short just before half-time with a potentially serious knee injury.

But the fans showed their appreciation for the Northern Irishman with a huge standing ovation as he was stretchered off and replaced by James Chester.

The substitution didn't stop Albion pouring forward though and it was nearly four when Gardner's low free-kick from 25 yards out deflected onto the Palace post.

The visitors finally mustered up a foray into the Albion box in first-half injury time, when Jordan Mutch had a shot cleared off the line before the teams went in for the break.

And Palace got back into the game less than five minutes after the restart, thanks to a mix-up between Jonas Olsson and goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Wickham gambled on an innocuous header forward and, when Olsson left it for Foster, the Palace striker stole in and lifted the ball over the Albion keeper before tucking home the volley.

The Eagles wanted a penalty in the 51st minute when Gareth McAuley barged Scott Dann over at a corner, but referee Jonathan Moss said no.

It was end-to-end stuff though, and less than a minute later Berahino nearly restored the three-goal lead on the counter.

Found by Sessegnon, the forgiven 22-year-old chopped inside Dann before curling a sumptuous 25-yard effort against the upright.

Pardew brought Yannick Bolasie on at half-time for the ineffectual Emmanuel Adebayor and the winger did add some drive to the Palace team.

In the 72nd minute, he wanted a penalty when Fletcher clumsily knocked into him, but once again Moss said no.

Even though the ball was running away Bolasie, there was contact, and the Albion skipper was perhaps lucky nothing was given.

Nine minutes from time, Wickham made things really interesting, firing an unstoppable left-footed volley into the top left-hand corner to reduce the deficit to one.

But Pulis brought Sandro on for Rondon, with four minutes left in an attempt to shore things up. This time, there were no boos at the final whistle.