West Brom 1 Brighton 0 - Report

Following a bright start, the Baggies opened the scoring after 11 minutes when the outstanding Kyle Bartley nodded in from a corner.

Brighton were then given a penalty when Okay Yokuslu handled the ball in the box - with Pascal Gross smashing the resultant spot-kick against the bar.

Graham Potter’s side then had a goal disallowed. Given. But disallowed again by referee Lee Mason in a bizarre spell shortly after the half-hour mark.

The official blew for a free-kick to be taken - and with goalkeeper Sam Johnstone still organising his wall - Lewis Dunk took it quickly and fired into an empty net.

But as the free-kick was taken, Mason blew his whistle again to stop play having realised the keeper wasn't ready - with that whistle arriving while the ball was in motion but before it had crossed the line.

And because the whistle arrived before the ball was in, the goal was ruled out much to the anger of Potter and his players.

The visitors created numerous chances to pull level after the break - the best of which arrived from the penalty spot after Conor Townsend fouled Gross.

Once again, though, Brighton missed with Danny Welbeck hitting the post.

That meant, in the end, it was the Baggies who secured a crucial win to kick-start a run of three home games in which Allardyce said his players must take at least six points to have any chance of securing Premier League survival.

Report

Allardyce made one enforced change from the team that was so impressive at Burnley when naming his starting line-up.

With Semi Ajayi serving a one-match ban following his red card at Turf Moor, Dara O’Shea came back into the side at centre-halve where he lined up alongside Kyle Bartley.

That meant the Baggies were able to continue in the 4-3-3 system had that served them well against both the Clarets and Manchester United the week before.

It saw Okay Yokuslu sit just in front of the back four with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher joining him in midfield.

Up front, Mbaye Diagne was the central striker with Matheus Pereira on the right and Matt Phillips on the left.

Brighton, under the guidance of former Baggie Graham Potter, lined up in a 4-3-2-1 system with Alexis MacAllister and Leandro Trossard both operating in the number 10 role behind Neal Maupay.

It was Albion who started the game on the front foot with Allardyce’s men winning three corners in the opening 11 minutes.

And it was from the third of those set-plays that they opened the scoring with Gallagher sending in a cross that an unmarked Bartley nodded in from close range.

Just seven minutes later, the visitors had a glorious chance to pull level in a move that started with McAllister seeing a shot from just inside the box deflect narrowly wide.

The resultant corner was initially cleared by Albion but the ball was sent back into the box with that delivery hitting the hand of Yokuslu.

Initially, referee Mason allowed play to go on but VAR told him to look at the incident again on his pitch-side monitor.

And with Yokuslu’s hand in an unnatural position the official had to little choice but to point to the penalty spot.

But from 12-yards, Gross smashed the ball against the crossbar to ensure the Baggies remained ahead.

If that was dramatic, what followed - just past the half-hour mark - was extraordinary.

Gallagher gave away a free-kick right on the edge of Albion’s box which Lewis Dunk stood over.

And with Johnstone still organising his wall after Mason had blown his whistle, quick-thinking from the defender saw him essentially fire into an empty net.

Initially, Mason ruled out the goal. But he then changed his mind and gave it - with a number of Albion players reacting furiously.

The goal was then checked by VAR who found that after blowing his whistle for the free-kick to be taken, Mason then blew it again to stop play.

Incredibly, that second was made inbetween Dunk making contact with the ball and the ball then crossing the line.

And because the ball wasn’t in at the time the whistle was blown, the goal was again disallowed.

With everyone in a state of bewilderment, the game quietened down for the next 15 minutes.

But in first-half stoppage time, both teams created glorious chances to score.

Albion should have doubled their advantage when Pereira’s through-ball sent Maitland-Niles clean through on goal.

The Arsenal loanee had to score but instead, he hit a tame low drive that was gathered by Robert Sanchez.

Brighton then went straight down the other end with Johnstone making a point-blank save to deny Maupay from close range.

The visitors made a change at the break with Adam Lallana replacing MacAllister.

And they should have pulled level just moments later when Maupay turned into the box before hitting a low drive which Johnstone could only parry.

The loose ball fell for Connolly who looked destined to fire into an empty net but the midfielder fired over when he really had to score.

Brighton continued to look dangerous as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark - so much so it prompted Bartley to shout at assistant-manager Sammy Lee for some help at the back due to the visitors having changed their shape.

And Lee and Allardyce responded by asking Gallagher to sit a bit deeper in central midfield - giving the back four just that little bit extra protection.

The Baggies then made their first change with Grady Diangana replacing Phillips.

If the first-half drama wasn’t enough, Brighton were given a second penalty with 15 minutes remaining when Townsend was judged to have fouled Gross.

This time substitute Danny Welbeck took it but he too missed - with the striker incredibly firing against the inside of the post.

Brighton had more chance before full-time with Johnstone making a save to deny Veltman while Goss fired narrowly over from distance.

But in the end the Baggies held on to secure a crucial, crucial win.

Teams

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong, O’Shea, Bartley, Townsend, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles, Gallagher, Pereira (Ivanovic 79), Diagne (Robson-Kanu 83), Phillips (Diangana 72).

Subs not used: Button, Peltier, Livermore, Sawyers, Robinson, Grant, Robinson.

Brighton: Sanchez, Burn, White (Moder 84), Dunk, Veltman, Connolly (Welbeck 61), Bissouma, Gross, Trossard, MacAllister (Lallana 46), Maupay.

Subs not used: Steele, Jahanbaksh, Alzate, Tau, Propper, Zeqiri.