Birmingham 2-0 West Brom - Report
Albion's away struggles continued down the road at Blues as the week in which Carlos Corberan extended his Hawthorns stay ended with a whimper.
The St Andrew's hosts completed a double over the Baggies for the first time since the 1998/99 season as Hannibal Mejbri and Krystian Bielik goals in either half called goalkeeper David Button into question on a forgettable evening.
It was a rotten start for the visitors as Manchester United loanee Hannibal caught out Button by sneaking a free-kick at the near post.
The visitors didn't recover all evening. It was another limp start to a half for Corberan's side as Bielik headed in from a corner shortly after the interval as Button missed his punch.
Corberan extended his Baggies contract by two years until 2027 this week amid interest from Premier League Leeds but Albion difficulties away from The Hawthorns have now resulted in three straight defeats in all competitions.
Those struggles and general nervousness and uncertainty with Button in for the injured Alex Palmer provide cause for concern for Albion fans in the play-off chase.
There was little surprise as Corberan opted for the same starting XI as seven days earlier in the home victory over Coventry. Indeed it was also the same seven substitutes, with Tom Rogic and Taylor Gardner-Hickman again left out. Kyle Bartley is due a scan after feeling more tightness in training.
Much of the build-up centred on Blues fans protesting outside St Andrew's against the controversial ownership of their club. Two lower tiers of the old ground empty due to ongoing maintenance told a story of continued struggle.
On the pitch it had also been a struggle for John Eustace's men of late, they had slipped to 18th in the Championship. Blues did, however, snap a five-game losing league streak by winning 4-3 at Swansea last weekend.
Albion unity was symbolised as Okay Yokuslu led the side out ahead of captain Dara O'Shea in a showing of togetherness following the deadly earthquakes in the midfielder's homeland of Turkey, as well as Syria.
Blues were much the brighter out the traps as Albion struggled to click into gear.
American defender Auston Trusty headed over from a corner at the back post inside four minutes. It was a let-off for Corberan's side - but a warning they didn't heed.
Blues were the better side and were rewarded for their endeavour on 10 minutes.
The game's opening goal left yet more question marks next to keeper Button's name.
Blues won a free-kick 30 yards out across towards the right touchline. Hannibal, the Manchester United loanee and Steve Bruce Albion target last summer, appeared to shape to deliver into a packed box.
But Hannibal was smart. He instead whipped a curled effort towards the near post that caught out Button. The keeper awaited a delivery, but instead had to scramble to his left.
He was not quick enough to recover and was caught out. Button's hand, or even fingertips, on the ball were not nearly enough as the smart set-piece deceived him.
Any hopes of an immediate Baggies response were soon extinguished.
Corberan's men could not get going. Daryl Dike, starting again over Brandon Thomas-Asante, chased a loose Kevin Long backpass but keeper John Ruddy just about won the race.
Juninho Bacuna volleyed over with Blues first to every second ball before Button earned some credit back by palming away a Tahith Chong's deflected cross arrowing for the top right corner.
About Albion's best of the first period was a deflected strike from former Villa man and Leicester loanee Marc Albrighton, which dropped a yard or two wide.
Corberan resisted the temptation to make a change at the interval and hoped for a response that had led to second-half comebacks at Sunderland and Luton recently.
A small hill to scale turned into a mountain seven minutes into the restart as another dead ball undid Albion.
Hannibal's corner from Albion's right allowed Polish midfielder Bielik to sneak between Erik Pieters and Conor Townsend and head in from six yards out.
Button failed to cover himself in glory once more. The keeper ventured out towards the six-yard line in an attempt to punch, but did not get near the ball and former Walsall man Bielik found the net.
Corberan then turned to his bench to introduce Thomas-Asante, John Swift and Nathaniel Chalobah.
Dike's night was summed up by a wild left-footed lash high and wide into the away end before a better strike by Swift, albeit deflected, drew a Ruddy save.
Blues' ex-Villa frontman Scott Hogan, September's hat-trick scorer at The Hawthorns, headed inches over the top corner as the slick hosts came close to a third.
It got no better for the visitors, for whom more home comforts against Blackburn on Wednesday are required.
Blues (4-4-2): Ruddy (c); Colin, Sanderson, Long, Trusty; Bacuna (Dean, 88), Bielik, Hannibal (Hall, 71), Chong; Hogan (Deeney, 88), Jutkiewicz (Gardner, 64).
Subs not used: Etheridge, Friend, James.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Button; Furlong, O'Shea (c), Pieters, Townsend (Reach, 68); Yokuslu (Chalobah, 55), Molumby; Albrighton (Thomas-Asante, 55), Wallace, Diangana (Swift, 55), Dike (Grant, 68).
Subs not used: Griffiths, Ajayi.
Attendance: 17,781 (2,244 Albion fans)
Referee: James Linnington
