Rotherham 0 West Brom 4 - Report and Pictures

This comprehensive victory over Rotherham is no guarantee that campaign will be emulated, but as we reach the halfway stage of the season the Baggies are beginning to work up a head of steam.

Seven games unbeaten has kept the pressure on the top two, as Darren Moore's men threaten to put together the sort of run that promotions are built on.

Following three 2-1 wins in a row on the road, this victory at the New York Stadium was not nearly as tight, with the Baggies racing into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to their clinical loan stars.

Those of the blue and white persuasion will be praying Claude Puel can cling on to his Leicester job as long as possible, because a managerial change at the King Power Stadium could also bring a January recall for Harvey Barnes, who netted his ninth goal here.

Fortunately Dwight Gayle is locked into his season-long loan swap, and the only possibility in January is that his temporary stay becomes a permanent one.

After striking his 11th, 12th and 13th goals of the season, no doubt the Baggies would love that.

Gayle's hat-trick reaffirmed his position as one of this league's deadliest strikers, but the clean sheet, just Albion's second of the season, will be celebrated inside the dressing room just as heartily.

Draw specialists Rotherham had ended 10 of their last 13 games level, but they were blown away by a first half blitz from the Baggies.

This wasn't the Millers' day, perhaps best epitomised by the club mistakenly playing goal music when they missed a penalty 15 minutes from time with the score 4-0.

Unsurprisingly, Moore named an unchanged team to the one that beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, although James Morrison and Hal Robson-Kanu did return to the bench from their respective injuries.

Former Albion full-back Joe Mattock, who scored a 90th minute equaliser last time out, was in the Rotherham line-up.

The Millers are formidable opponents at home, and hadn't lost here since August.

But their defence was breached as early as the sixth minute thanks to an inventive moment from Gayle.

The striker won the free-kick with a clever flick and turn that drew a foul from Clark Robertson on the edge of the area.

It was too close to get up and over the wall, so Gayle improvised, and whipped it under the Rotherham defenders, who all jumped, and watched it skid underneath their studs and into the far corner.

Before the game, former goalkeeper Matt Murray described Millers keeper Marek Rodak as one of the best in the division, but there was little he could do about this one.

It was only Gayle's second away goal of the season, and just like the last one, it came from a free-kick.

Rotherham responded, and 11 minutes in they nearly drew level.

Ryan Manning cracked the post from 25 yards after a short-corner routine nearly caught Albion out again, and then Craig Dawson had to clear Semi Ajayi's rebound effort off the line.

This was Dawson's 200th appearance for the Baggies, and he looked in imperious form at the back.

But Albion's star performers this season have been in attack, and 20 minutes in it was the turn of their other loanee to make the difference.

After Barnes nutmegged Zak Vyner on the touchline he raced away before finding Jay Rodriguez in the middle.

His shot hit the post but bounced back to Barnes, who swept home his ninth of the season.

Albion had been clinical, but Rotherham were refusing to roll over and still carried a threat going forward.

They were slinging good balls into the box from corners and open play, and half an hour in, had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty when the ball appeared to hit Dawson's raised arms.

Michael Smith then flashed a shot inches wide of the far post after touching the ball past Ahmed Hegazi when Gareth Barry had been robbed of possession.

Barry was then booked before Sam Johnstone saw yellow for apparent time-wasting as the Millers continued to get into Albion's faces.

Rotherham did not deserve to be two goals behind, but then two minutes before the break, it got even worse for them.

When Matt Phillips whipped a free-kick in towards the near post, Gayle got in front of his man and scrambled the ball home for his second and Albion's third.

Moore's men had had three chances in the first half, and converted all three. It was more of the same after the break.

Albion were brimming with confidence, epitomised ten minutes after half-time by Tosin Adarabioyo getting into an advanced position before spinning his man in midfield.

He then played in Gayle, whose attempted cross fell to Rodak, but the keeper fumbled it, handing Albion's striker an early Christmas gift which he duly tucked away to wrap up both his hat-trick and the game.

Moore immediately went to conserve energy, bringing off Barry for Chris Brunt, but Rotherham kept coming.

Richie Towell wanted a penalty when he went down under Hegazi, before Sam Johnstone superbly tipped Smith's header around the post at full-stretch.

The Baggies were desperate to keep a clean sheet. With 20 minutes to go, Livermore headed a corner off the line.

It looked like they'd given it up with 15 minutes to go when Adarabioyo felled Towell in the box and referee Tony Harrington pointed to the spot.

But Manning hit the post with his spot-kick before the Baggies hacked clear, while Rotherham had to quickly cut short their goal music after the first two bars had been played.

Rotherham had huffed and puffed admirably but Albion saw the game out after that. It leaves them within just three points of the top two.

KEY MOMENTS

06 GOAL ALBION - Gayle wins a free-kick on the edge of the area and then whips it under the wall to give Albion the lead.

11 Manning cracks the post from 25 yards and then Dawson clears Ajayi's rebound effort off the line.

20 GOAL ALBION - Barnes sweeps home Albion's second after Rodriguez's shot hits the post.

43 GOAL ALBION - Phillips whips a ball to the near post, and Gayle gets in front of his man and scrambles it home for his second.

55 GOAL ALBION - Gayle gets his hat-trick after a mistake from Rodak.

75 PENALTY ROTHERHAM - Manning hits the post from the spot after Adarabioyo trips Towell in the box.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Dwight Gayle - A hat-trick for Albion's goal machine

POSITION IN THE TABLE

3rd, with 42 points from 23 games.

TEAMS

Rotherham United (4-5-1): Rodak; Vyner, Ajayi, Robertson, Mattock (Williams 65); Forde, Vaulks, Towell, Manning, Newell (Taylor 72); Smith (Proctor 80).

Unused subs: Price, Wood, Palmer, Wiles.

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone; Adarabioyo, Dawson, Hegazi, Gibbs; Phillips (Morrison 78), Barry (Brunt 58), Livermore (c); Gayle (Robson-Kanu 82), Rodriguez, Barnes.

Unused subs: Myhill, Mears, Harper, Sako.

Referee: Tony Harrington

Attendance: 10,593 (2,597 away)