Luton 2-3 West Brom - Report

Carlos Corberan's in-form Baggies were 3-2 winners courtesy of Conor Townsend's close-range effort on an extraordinary winter afternoon at Kenilworth Road in which the visitors found themselves 2-0 down and shell-shocked inside 10 minutes.

But Albion rallied from a sluggish start and were the better side from the 20th minute onwards. The win owed much to Daryl Dike's goal shortly before half-time and has lifted Albion three places to sixth and the play-offs.

Two incredible second-half minutes after the hour turned the scoreline on its head to the delight of the 1,000 travelling fans behind Ethan Horvath's goal.

Jayson Molumby, with just his second Baggies goal, hammered in for 2-2 and just as the Hatters had taken stock Corberan's men earned the lead through Townsend, who converted at the back post for just his first Baggies league goal in four-and-a-half years.

The comeback victory is a very different effort to what has gone before it under Corberan. Alex Palmer's proud long record of not conceding from open play was out the window after seven minutes and a moment later the afternoon looked beyond one of the division's in-form sides.

But at the end there was real meaning in celebrations between the players, staff and away end as 'Boing Boing' and 'up to the Premier League we go' roared out into the sky.

Albion were good value for a deserved win, even at 2-0 down, which adds strength to the thought process this group of players, under Corberan's leadership, are confident in their march towards the Championship's higher reaches.

The Baggies dropped to the bottom of the Championship after Corberan's first game, a Sheffield United defeat, fast-forward a couple of months and nine wins in 10 league games later Albion are sixth, two points from third.

As expected Dike led the visitors' frontline in the absence of the suspended Brandon Thomas-Asante.

The XI that started Albion's last league game, the 1-0 win over Reading on January 2 and were rotated out at Chesterfield last week, came back into the starting roles.

The one surprise to Corberan matchday squad in Bedfordshire was the absence of Karlan Grant from the bench. The forward picked us a minor thigh injury in training on Friday and was not risked.

Jake Livermore came in on the bench that did not include a natural striker. Under-21s frontman Jovan Malcolm travelled with the squad and was involved in the warm-ups.

Luton entered the contest in decent form, two places and one point above their visitors. Boss Rob Edwards, who beat Albion 1-0 with Watford in August, brought Tom Lockyer, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Alfie Doughty and ex-Walsall man Elijah Adebayo back into his side.

Albion started well in the driving rain and tight, packed setting of Kenilworth Road. Jed Wallace almost turned a Matty Phillips cross goalwards. The resulting corner was flicked on and almost met by a flying Darnell Furlong at the back post.

For all of the Baggies' bright work in the opening minutes it was Luton who struck first with a bolt from the blue.

Former Norwich youngster Morris was afforded some time and space midway through the Albion half and he made the most of it.

Morris ambled forward with little apparent threat before he unleashed an unexpected rocket that caught Albion's defence and Palmer off goal as it arrowed into the bottom right corner.

It was the first goal Albion - and Palmer - had conceded from open play in Championship football since the fist half of Corberan's first goal against Sheffield United on October 29.

It was an early wake-up call for Corberan's men and one they almost heeded. A neat move down the left between the busy Townsend and Phillips saw the latter deliver well for the unmarked John Swift, who headed narrowly over the top left angle.

The huge chance to equalise came and went and an early setback become a double hammerblow three minutes later to ensure the visitors two down on 10 minutes.

If the first goal was very well taken the second was terrible from an Albion perspective.

Former Villa full-back James Bree, a target for Steve Bruce last summer, whipped in a deep free-kick delivery from the right where a queue of unmarked orange shirts waited to convert. It was former Walsall man Adebayo who climbed to dispatch a firm header to Palmer's left.

Albion were shell-shocked as Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu might have made it three. Corberan's side needed to respond.

It took the Baggies five or 10 minutes to recover but they did manage to find a foothold and were more settled and quicker with their play.

Okay Yokuslu was neat and tidy and thrashed a rising first-time strike narrowly over from the edge of the box before, as Luton failed to clear another set-piece, Wallace fed Dara O'Shea whose angled strike was parried over by Horvath.

Albion began to lay siege to the Hatters' box and were inches from a reward as Dike climbed high with a towering leap to head against the crossbar from close range. It looked like the striker should have scored but it was tricky to find any downward accuracy from such height.

Townsend swung his left at the ensuing scramble but couldn't turn home.

Another huge scramble had Baggies fans scratching their eyes at how they hadn't registered.

A Swift free-kick cannoned off a home defender and Horvath reacted superbly to paw the effort away - but only to Furlong who was then somehow denied from two yards out.

Furlong headed a Swift free-kick over before Wallace drew a near-post save from the busy Horvath.

Albion bagged the goal back they deserved six minutes before the break as Dike raced on to O'Shea's fine lofted pass.

The American won the race with his compatriot in the Hatters goal and his initial touch on the edge of the box was enough to find the corner despite retreating defenders.

Albion didn't want the half-time whistle as Luton continued to drop, but such a theme continued after the interval, albeit Luton's rearguard was more secure.

Corberan typically wasted little time to make a change as Grady Diangana replaced Swift.

Albion were well on top and delivered on their pressure after the hour.

The pressure became too much as Republic of Ireland international Molumby hammered in his first goal in 11 months while Luton creaked.

Phillips' cross looked set for a diving Diangana at the back post but Horvath did just enough. Dike set for Townsend, whose right-footed effort was parried by the keeper straight into the path of Molumby.

The midfielder kept his cool and hammered a low effort into the ground and through crowded six yard box to level.

Albion, attacking a boisterous away end, were not done.

Barely two minutes later the 1,000 travelling Baggies exploded as their troops turned the scoreline on its head.

Phillips was involved from the right again, his wonderful low cross was too much for the Town backline and there unmarked was the excellent Townsend to crash high into the net from a couple of yards out to pandemonium behind the goal.

The contest quietened down - how could it not? - following Albion's two-goal flurry with the home's turn to be shocked into a response. Corberan's men focused on becoming compact and seeing out their victory.

Luton managed a bit more of the ball but hardly managed a sight at the Baggies' goal all half.

Albion were impressive and smart and streetwise to see out the contest. Edwards' hosts barely laid a glove on the resilient Baggies, who at times looked out on their feet due to the mammoth effort, but saw a huge turnaround success over the line with minimal fuss.

Key moments:

7 - Goal Luton. Albion start the brighter but it's a sucker punch from the hosts as Carlton Morris thrashes in low from 30 yards. Alex Palmer finally concedes in the league from open play.

10 - Goal Luton. Bad to worse for the shell-shocked Baggies as Luton double their lead and this time it's all too easy. James Bree's free-kick delivery from deep is powered in by the head of Elijah Adebayo.

25 - Albion have found a way back into this contest and settled and should've halved the deficit but Daryl Dike cracks the crossbar with a close-range header.

39 - GOAL Albion! Now they do have one back! A wonderful lofted ball out of defence from skipper Dara O'Shea sends Dike scampering and he beats keeper Ethan Horvath to the ball and finds the corner.

65 - GOAL Albion! Corberan's man are level at 2-2 through Jayson Molumby! An almighty scramble sees sub Grady Diangana put his head where it hurts from Matty Phillips' cross. Dike then sets for Conor Townsend, whose strike is parried by Horvath only to Molumby, who keeps his cool to fire low and in through bodies.

67 - GOAL ALBION! What a couple of minutes, it's 3-2! This owes everything to sheer quality of Phillips' low cross from the right. It bamboozles the Hatters' backline and keeper and there is Townsend racing in at the back post to lift high into the net. Great scenes in the away end behind the goal!

Luton Town (3-4-1-2): Horvath; Bree, Lockyer, Potts; Doughty, Campbell, Mpanzu (Woodrow, 71), Bell; Clark (Watson, 81); Morris (Cornick, 71), Adebayo (Jerome, 71).

Subs not used: Isted, Burke, Osho.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, O'Shea, Pieters, Townsend; Yokuslu, Molumby; Wallace (Ajayi, 84), Swift (Diangana, 56), Phillips (Reach, 90+2); Dike.

Subs not used: Button, Rogic, Livermore, Gardner-Hickman.

Attendance: 10,069 (1,042 Albion fans)

Referee: Josh Smith