West Brom 1 Wigan 0 - Report
Albion got their play-off hunt back on track by maintaining their stunning Hawthorns form with a routine win over lowly Wigan.
Daryl Dike's 27th-minute winner earned a ninth home win in 10 in all competitions - and eighth in nine in the Championship - and lifted Carlos Corberan's injury-hit squad two places to ninth in their game in hand over rivals.
It was not a pretty or particularly memorable evening but, crucially, the Baggies responded to yet more disappointment on the road. The record at home and away from the Black Country could not be more contrasting.
Albion are now three places and four points from sixth with a home clash against Neil Warnock's rock-bottom Huddersfield on Saturday.
Corberan, limited by squad options with 10 senior players unavailable through injury or illness, unsurprisingly selected the same starting XI from Friday's disappointment in Hull.
Indeed the hosts' only change in the matchday 18 was one academy youngster on the bench for another as Mo Faal - fresh from scoring 10 goals in 16 games for AFC Fylde in National League North - replaced Rico Richards as a substitute.
Shaun Maloney, appointed at Wigan in late January following Kolo Toure's disastrous short spell in charge, had stabled his side's run of results and the Latics climbed off bottom with a draw against Blues last time out.
That was a fourth draw in six, with a single win and loss in the mix. The visitors were stunted just prior to kick-off in losing powerful defender Jack Whatmough, which prompted a late change and the introduction of Ryan Nyambe.
The first 15 or 20 minutes of the contest on a chilly Hawthorns evening will be remembered for precious little. It was a low-key evening where the cold conditions had tempted a few Baggies to stay at home rather than brave the elements - while the visitors also travelled in small numbers.
Albion were, at times, slow with the ball and forced to look backwards as Wigan settled reasonably well. The home crowd needed more.
The clash needed a spark and when it arrived on 17 minutes the hosts should have found themselves ahead.
Jayson Molumby could only spurn wide from six yards out, unchecked by the Latics backline, after Marc Albrighton had sent Conor Townsend to the byline on a useful overlap.
The low cross was good and Albion's Irish midfielder should have scored to break Wigan's resolve early.
Corberan's side did click through the gears after that and insert their dominance. A couple of Jed Wallace deliveries troubled the visitors and a one-two with Okay Yokuslu in the box fell short.
Just shy of the half-hour, though, the home fans had something to cheer.
Dike was there to gleefully nod in his sixth goal of the season after fortune fell on Albion's side.
Molumby's left-footed drive from a tight angle was better than his previous effort. Keeper Ben Amos' parry into the sky was weak and dropped on to the crossbar. Rather than clearing the net, though, it fell back into play and on to the American's forehead for 1-0.
Albion merited the luck as Dike's expert hold-up play and clever lay-off to release Molumby was some fine attacking work.
Confidence flooded through the 22-year-old's veins. If his first owed to a slither of fortune the second was a moment of brilliance.
Darnell Furlong's low drive from distance was well-taken by Dike, whose next touch was to flick an aerial ball over his and a defender's head and whack a fierce volley on target. Amos was just about equal to the magnificent piece of skill.
The hosts might have doubled their lead before the break through skipper Dara O'Shea, but his header from John Swift's delicious free-kick delivery rose inches over the crossbar. The effort was made more difficult as the ball bounced just before the defender.
Former Villa winger Maloney responded with a double half-time change but it was still all Albion after the break.
Conor Townsend was denied from distance by a decent Amos save before the wingers combined as Wallace raced on to Albrighton's pass, only to strike the near post from a tight angle.
But the hosts lost some control after the hour and Wigan sensed some joy. Sub Josh Magennis nodded a good chance over from Ash Fletcher's cross. Corberan had introduced Nathaniel Chalobah, Semi Ajayi and Adam Reach.
Josh Griffiths was called into his first meaningful save of the night to deny Thelo Aasgaard from distance.
Thankfully for nervy home fans the hosts resumed control in the closing stages. Swift struck the bar late on but it mattered little in the end, thanks in no end to a stunning Griffiths save to deny Tom Pearce in stoppage time, which could prove priceless.
Teams
Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Furlong, O'Shea (c), Pieters (Ajayi, 70), Townsend; Yokuslu, Molumby (Chalobah, 57); Wallace, Swift (Gardner-Hickman, 85), Albrighton (Reach, 70); Dike.
Subs not used: Button, Malcolm, Faal.
Wigan (3-4-2-1): Amos; Nyambe (Bennett, 45), Hughes, Rekik; Darikwa (c), Tiehi (Aasgaard, 45), Power, McClean (Pearce, 88); Keane (Magennis, 66), Sinani; Fletcher.
Subs not used: Jones, Naylor, Caulker.
Attendance: 21,552 (563 Wigan fans)
Referee: Rebecca Welch
