Stoke 1 West Brom 2 - Report

Carlos Corberan's visitors looked resigned to yet more disappointment away from The Hawthorns after Jacob Brown's header handed the hosts a deserved first-half lead.

But midfielder Molumby, back among the Baggies starters after an injury lay-off, struck two scrappy goals within 10 minutes either side of the hour in front of 2,500 delirious travelling supporters.

It was a first win on their travels for seven games - six in the Championship - for Corberan's threadbare squad. Not since the return from Luton on January 14 have the travelling Baggies tasted success.

The comeback victory keeps Albion in contention in the top six race and slices the gap to the play-offs to two points, until Blackburn's home game with Hull this evening.

On an otherwise memorable afternoon Albion did suffer the hammerblow of losing striker Daryl Dike to what looked like another lengthy injury as the American's ankle appeared to buckle under no pressure. He was stretchered off late in a first half full of lengthy delays.

It was another setback for Corberan's squad already desperately low on numbers, though Molumby's comeback was a timely one in more ways than one.

For the first time in a good while, the rest of Albion's ranks rallied after a disappointing start to a game and fought back to turn the contest on its head. Two scrappy Molumby efforts will live long in the memory, as will Corberan's salute with the away end after the full-time whistle.

The contest grew increasingly bad tempered with referee Andy Woolmer struggling to keep control of things and Potters midfielder Ben Pearson was shown two yellow cards within a minute in stoppage time with the hostfrustrateded.

Mercifully for a threadbare Albion, Corberan was able to call on Molumby's services to start in the Potteries.

The Irish midfielder was flagged as a doubt with the groin injury he recently picked up on international duty. Molumby was well enough to come from the bench against QPR and included from the off after showing no ill effects from training yesterday.

His inclusion was extra useful with the absence of the injured Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Okay Yokuslu, still missing struggling with an ankle setback.

Alex Palmer returned between the sticks for Albion after almost three months out with an ankle and knee injury. He came in for Josh Griffiths.

Palmer's penultimate game prior to injury was the win at Luton on January 14, the last time Corberan's side won on the road.

Dike was recalled to the XI up front. He replaced winger Marc Albrighton, as Brandon Thomas-Asante shifted out to the left.

With Gardner-Hickman and Yokuslu missing, the return of Jake Livermore to the bench from a hamstring niggle was timely. Livermore did not make the Albion squad over the Easter weekend.

Alex Neil's hosts, who had been plagued with inconsistency all season, remained unchanged from a 0-0 draw at Blues on Monday. Dwight Gayle, scorer of a Baggies winner here in 2019, led the line.

Thomas-Asante was bright in the opening minutes but the hosts forced a first meaningful attack as Gayle dragged wide across goal from a tight left angle. Palmer looked to have it covered.

Stoke settled the stronger into the contest and forced the returning Palmer into an early bit of top work after 14 minutes.

Wolves loanee Ki-Jana Hoever's cross was spot-on for Tyrese Campbell and the forward's strong header drew a flying fingertip save over the top by Palmer.

Albion were concerned to see Chalobah, who had started the game with purpose after recent struggles, down holding his shoulder in the early stages, but he was well enough to continue.

Corberan's side worked one or two decent wide positions but their deliveries either lacked accuracy or were easy to clear. On one occasion Jed Wallace's touch from Darnell Furlong's cross was loose.

Stoke were the brighter and deserved their lead on half hour.

John Swift was Albion's guilty party with the ball. The attacker tried to force a through ball that always looked unlikely to split the Potters' backline.

Stoke broke swiftly with a neat one-two down their left and Morgan Fox, a left-back operating at centre-back with the hosts depleted, centred a lovely cross for the unmarked Brown to guide past Palmer.

Brown had stolen a march on the green and yellow stripes and Conor Townsend and Erik Pieters were too late to recover. It wasn't the cleanest header, but Palmer could not switch his weight to get down to his right.

The contest was broken up by a lengthy Ben Wilmot injury that eventually saw the home defender stretchered off after a coming together with Thomas-Asante, which resulted in the Baggies man being loudly booed.

The stoppage resulted in 11 minutes of added time, and a few minutes into that there was another lengthy pause - but this time it was Albion breath being held.

Dike hit the deck under no pressure as he appeared to get his foot or leg twisted in the turf. He immediately looked in pain and was consoled by John Swift and Wallace, who summoned for a stretcher.

The American was lifted off with the aid of oxygen and strapping on his lower leg or ankle in an extremely gloomy end to an hour played and more apparent foul luck for Dike. He was replaced by Karlan Grant.

There were no further changes for the second period, following a half of football where Stoke were much the brighter.

A game low on quality became increasingly stretched with both teams seemingly keen to give the ball to each other.

Albion were sloppy but Stoke, smooth in the first half, dropped to the visitors' level.

Stoke's Brown stung the palms of Palmer as Albion continued to struggle with the ball.

But that warning shot seemed to spark the Baggies into a miraculous recovery, although in truth it was as much about Stoke's ineptitude.

The Potters handed Thomas-Asante possession on the right and the forward squared for Grant, whose fierce strike was well saved by Bonham.

Swift's resulting corner eventually dropped the way of Thomas-Asante, who rather lunged at the ball to send it on to the crossbar, but there was Molumby waited to nod over the line - just, via the crossbar again on the hour.

There was no shortage of needle in an ever-increasing cauldron of anger as Fox and Ben Pearson were cautioned within a few minutes.

Corberan's side were in the ascendency for the first time all afternoon but they appeared to have passed up a gilt-edged opening as Thomas-Asante was denied one-on-one by Jack Bonham after being played in by Swift.

But suddenly Stoke couldn't find any respite or clear their lines and within 10 minutes of equalising, Albion scored again.

The returning Molumby was the goal hero once more - it was another scrappy effort but the 2,500 behind the goal boinging wildly did not care on jot.

Swift was involved again, cutting back on to his right foot to shoot inside the box. His powerful effort beat Bonham but Dujon Sterling cleared, but only for a second.

The ball cannoned up and Grant was first to it, but could only head on to the crossbar. The Baggies were first to everything though, and there was Molumby once again to scramble over the line by the post. The assistant wasn't sure it crossed the line, but referee Andy Woolmer was.

Stoke were all at sea and all of a sudden every simple Albion ball over the defence looked like causing trouble. Grant in particular was sharp and alive to chances before boss Neil plugged the gap.

Stoke finally rallied late on but only to force a couple of corners. The Baggies were wise and defended intelligently, with plenty of nous.

The clash had long threatened to boil over and did so when midfielder Ben Pearson was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time for moaning at Albion eating up the minutes.

The bright Grant might have added another from distance and Wallace flashed across goal but, thankfully for the first time in what feels like forever, Albion are back on track on the road.

Key moments:

30 - Goal Stoke. 1-0 to the hosts as Jacob Brown heads past Alex Palmer from a Morgan Fox cross from the left. Opening came after John Swift's poor pass was easily cut out.

34 - Potters defender Ben Wilmot is down for the best part of 10 minutes and stretchered off after coming together with Brandon Thomas-Asante.

45+7 - Another lengthy stoppage deep into added time as Daryl Dike lands awkwardly and requires a stretcher. He is lifted off with oxygen and strapping on his lower leg or ankle after yet more rotten luck. Karlan Grant comes on and first half runs until the 60th minute.

59 - GOAL ALBION! Baggies level through Jayson Molumby who heads in via the crossbar after Thomas-Asante also found the woodwork from John Swift's corner.

69 - GOAL ALBION!! Corberan's men are ahead and it's Molumby again!! This time he scrambles home with the ball just about over the line after Karlan Grant headed against the bar, reacting to John Swift's shot being cleared off the line.

90+6 - Red card. Stoke midfielder Ben Pearson shown two yellow cards within a minute as the Potters grow tired of Albion using up their time to get over the line. The second was for arguing at officials.

Teams

Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Bonham; Hoever, Wilmot (Jagielka, 41), Fox, Sterling; Pearson, Laurent (c); Brown, Smallbone (Thompson, 74), Campbell (Tymon, 74); Gayle.

Subs not used: Fielding, Baker, Celina, Powell.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, Ajayi, Pieters, Townsend; Chalobah, Molumby; Wallace, Swift (Albrighton, 81), Thomas-Asante; Dike (Grant, 45+11).

Subs not used: Griffiths, Ingram, Andrews, Rogic, Livermore.

Attendance: 23,486 (2,545 Albion fans)

Referee: Andy Woolmer