West Brom 1-0 Reading – report and pictures
Daryl Dike marked his one-year Albion anniversary with his first Hawthorns goal to seal a welcome narrow win over Reading.
Carlos Corberan's flying side made it eight wins from nine to climb to ninth in the Championship thanks to Dike's diving header on the hour in a deserved victory - but one they were made to work hard for.
Dike's £7million signing was one year and a day old by the time the big striker could finally celebrated a home goal to the sheer relief of all involved after injury heartache.
Alex Palmer marked 850 minutes since being beaten from open play by chalking up another clean sheet as the Baggies kicked off 2023 how they ended 2022 on the pitch.
Off-field problems mount and anti-ownership protests continue but Albion fans continue to dream of the Premier League thanks to Corberan and his troops.
Corberan continued his rotation policy throughout the busy festive period as he shuffled his pack with three changes from the side that saw off Preston with ease.
In came Dike for Brandon Thomas-Asante, Matt Phillips for Grady Diangana and John Swift for Tom Rogic. The trio dropped to the bench.
For Phillips it was a speedy return from illness that kept him out against North End.
Visiting boss Paul Ince also made three changes. There was a surprise first action of the season for veteran former Walsall and Blues defender Scott Dann, 35, who returned from a hamstring injury.
Andy Carroll led the line on his first return to his previous club. Shane Long was among the substitutes.
Albion were rampant from the very first whistle against the Royals and should have been ahead and well clear by the 10th minute, with Joe Lumley busy in the Royals' goal and the hosts' finishing just off-radar.
In-form midfielder Okay Yokuslu had already shot narrowly wide from distance before a wonderful flowing move, typical of the early stages, saw Jayson Molumby somehow denied by Middlesbrough loan keeper Lumley.
Jed Wallace triggered the move by sending his marker to the floor with quick feet. His low cross picked out former Royal John Swift - who was very lively in the opening stages - and a lovely little pass allowed Molumby a strike from close range, but Lumley was just able to paw the ball away.
Corberan's men were relentless. Swift's resulting corner was flicked on by Dike to the back post where Conor Townsend saw a diving header cannon off the left post.
Moments later Townsend had a try from distance, as Dike saw the rebound from Lumley's parried save well blocked.
Dike should have done better in the 10th minute as he got across his marker from Phillips' glorious cross from the left but the American could not divert on target.
The powerful striker had another sighter with a near-post header from Swift's corner but Lumley was equal to the effort.
The Baggies' ferocious start faded, understandably given early levels. Reading were not a big threat but did force a big save from Palmer on half hour.
The keeper maintained his recent excellence by getting down low to his left to deny Junior Hoilett, who was picked out on the right of the box by Yakou Meite. Palmer's save was a timely reminder.
The hosts struggled to reassert themselves before the break. Dike might have been on goal with a better, albeit difficult, touch. Albion's passes and crosses did not find their targets.
Darnell Furlong whistled a strike narrowly wide across goal after Yokuslu took a tumble in the box but Corberan, as is often the case, made his first change within barely 10 minutes of the restart as Diangana was called for the tiring Phillips.
The deadlock was finally broken a few minutes later on the hour. It had little to do with Corberan's change - this time - and was all about Molumby.
The Irishman powered after from a couple of pink shirts in midfield and found himself on the right flank where he whipped in a delicious cross begging to be attacked.
And it was - as Dike bravely flung himself into the six yard box to send a flying header low into the corner.
It was the moment the striker and supporters have waited for some time with what is hoped to be the first of many golden moments at The Hawthorns for the powerhouse.
Reading, for who keeper Lumley had earlier been booked for his latest piece of timewasting, tried to speed things up but to little avail.
Indeed the hosts could have put the points to bed through sub Thomas-Asante, who flicked a header just wide after rapid and tireless Wallace work to round Lumley.
But the Baggies were made to sweat in the final moments. Reading asked questions with quality deliveries and sub Baba Rahman should have hit the target as a corner was flicked into a crowded six yard box.
With that Reading's chance came and went and the home faithful once more departed victorious with their side four points from third.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, O'Shea (c), Pieters (Ajayi, 88), Townsend; Yokuslu, Molumby; Wallace (Gardner-Hickman, 88), Swift (Rogic, 66), Phillips (Diangana, 57); Dike (Thomas-Asante, 65).
Subs not used: Button, Grant.
Reading (3-4-3): Lumley; Yiadom (c), Dann, McIntyre; Hoilett (Mbengue, 58), Loum, Hendrick, Guinness-Walker (Rahman, 71); Ince, Carroll (Joao, 72), Meite (Long, 72).
Subs not used: Bouzanis, Sarr, Azeez.
Attendance: 25,322 (1,085 Reading fans)
Referee: Tom Nield
