West Brom 1 Hull City 0 - Report

On a night which for a long time threatened to be one of frustration, in front of the smallest Hawthorns crowd of the season, the Baggies got the job done courtesy of Karlan Grant’s eighth goal of the season.

It wasn’t particularly pretty, though neither was it as ugly as some of the showings by Valerien Ismael’s side this term.

By the end Albion were rewarded for their patience against a Hull team who showed little desire to attack, even after Grant’s 69th minute breakthrough.

The Baggies showed a willingness to keep possession and eventually wore down their opponents, claiming a victory which takes them back to within six points of leaders Bournemouth, themselves victims of a surprise home defeat to Preston.

In addition to Grant, who has now scored seven goals in his last eight appearances, the performance of Taylor Gardner-Hickman was a real positive. Handed his first league outing in place of the suspended Darnell Furling, the 19-year-old academy product displayed a refreshing energy and was the trigger for several of the home side’s best attacking moves.

Albion’s team news contained a surprise as it emerged Kyle Bartley, in addition to Furlong, would miss the match through suspension, the skipper having picked up a booking missed by everyone in last month’s win over Bristol City, meaning the card he picked up at Fulham on Saturday took him to five for the season.

Ismael made another tactical change at the back, dropping Semi Ajayi in favour of Cedric Kipre, while he was forced into another enforced switch during the opening half when Kean Bryan, in for Bartley, sustained an injury. The other switch saw Callum Robinson returning in place of Jordan Hugill up front.

Hull entered the match having scored only nine goals in 16 matches, the fewest of any team in the Championship. When Jacob Greaves skied a volley high over the bar in the opening two minutes, it led to sarcastic cheers among the visiting supporters housed in a corner of the Smethwick End.

The Tigers had the next opening too, Sam Johnstone alert to race off his line and clear from in front of Josh Magennis when just for a second it looked like the striker might latch on to a long ball.

But from Albion’s first attack they looked dangerous and almost scored, Matt Phillips rolling Robinson’s cross against the far post before goalkeeper Matt Ingram bravely denied Grant on the follow up. In the context of what was to follow, it was a huge chance.

More good defending was required from the visitors when Gardner-Hickman showed quick feet to skip infield and field Robinson, the striker delaying perhaps just a little too long before hitting an effort which was blocked.

Hull were forced into an early defensive change when Sean McLoughlin replaced Alfie Jones, with Ismael also forced to shuffle the pack before the break when Bryan appeared to twist something while challenging Mallik Wilks for the ball.

In between, Phillips again went close when he headed a bouncing Townsend cross a yard wide of the near post, after the latter had been picked out by an excellent crossfield Kipre pass.

But otherwise it was a story of frustration. Albion were patient in possession but lacked the nous to break down their stubborn visitors.

The Baggies desperately needed a spark and seven minutes into the second half Gardner-Hickman nearly provided it, flicking the ball over his opponent to start a move which ended with Robinson, under pressure, just failing to make a clean connection with Reach’s low cross.

That led to a sustained spell in pressure which saw howls for a penalty from the home crowd when Townsend, now playing as a centre-back but regularly overlapping Reach, appeared to be shoved down off the ball by Richard Smallwood.

Ingram was then forced into his first save for nearly an hour when he got down to parry Robinson’s thumping effort. He made a better stop soon after, tipping over Grant’s rising drive as the hosts began to turn the screw.

The breakthrough, when it arrived, owed everything to the high pressing style Ismael has tried to implement. Livermore pounced on a pass 25 yards from the Hull goal and fed Robinson who squared for Grant to side-foot home, the roar from home supporters one of relief more than anything.

Hull had barely threatened and Sam Johnstone’s first serious save of the evening was from his own player, Livermore unintentionally directing a free-kick toward his own goal.

Inside the final five minutes Grant had the chance to kill the match off but pulled his shot wide when clean through. That led to a couple of nervy moments during five minutes of stoppage time but Hull never looked like they had the necessary belief to take advantage.

Teams

Albion (3-4-3): Johnstone, Kipre, Clarke, Bryan, Gardner-Hickman, Snodgrass, Livermore, Townsend (Reach 40), Phillips (Hugill 63), Robinson (Diangana 88), Grant Subs not used: Ajayi, Molumby, Taylor, Button (gk).

Hull (4-2-3-1): Ingram, Coyle, Jones (McLoughlin 17), Greaves, Elder, Smallwood, Docherty, Wilks (Longman 79), Honeyman, Lewis-Potter, Magennis (Eaves 79) Subs not used: Emmanuel, Cannon, Smith, Baxter (gk).