West Brom 4 Middlesbrough 2 - Report

Carlos Corberan's side made it two wins from two at home this season but followed up the 3-2 effort against Swansea with a 4-2 here, leaving no shortage of entertainment for the home faithful.

At 3-1 up against Boro's 10 men after Tommy Smith's red card, the win should have been simpler, but Albion got over the line in the end but a first clean sheet in five this season still looks some way away.

On a bright note Albion's goals were excellent. Cedric Kipre and John Swift struck fine quickfire first-half goals but Emmanuel Latte Lath struck back immediately, an early theme of the season.

Brandon Thomas-Asante made it three goals already this season just after half-time before Smith's marching orders. Albion entered a lull and Boro hit back through Marcus Forss' penalty but the Baggies finally put the contest to bed through Jeremy Sarmiento's excellent first goal for the club – and first professional goal.

Albion's home record under Corberan is mightily impressive and a big source of inspiration for the season. They have lost just once in the league at The Hawthorns - against Sunderland - since the Spaniard's first game last October. That includes 13 wins and three draws from 18.

Corberan's unchanged selection included centre-back Semi Ajayi, with the Nigerian fine to feature after rolling his ankle at Leeds and missing some training this week.

Matt Phillips continued at left wing-back over Conor Townsend, while Sarmiento's wait for a full Baggies debut since checking in on loan from Brighton went on.

Michael Carrick's visitors Boro had two alterations, with Smith and Riley McGree in for Rav van den Berg and Marcus Forss.

A first airing of The Liquidator this season geed the home faithful up and their charges threatened to respond with two raids into the Boro box inside 90 seconds.

The visitors settled, though, and were almost gifted the game's first goal 10 minutes in as Okay Yokusku sent Semi Ajayi a pass in his own box, Ajayi miscontrolled and McGree stormed in, with his low strike drawing a good save from Alex Palmer's right foot.

Boro looked the sharper and more creative of the two sides but, from the 20-minute mark, the clash took off.

The hosts opened the scoring from very little as Boro paid the price for failing to deal with Darnell Furlong's long throw.

The delivery was only half-cleared and Albion's Ivorian centre-back did the rest.

Kipre was too strong for his marker and a clever little nudge made some space for the defender to unleash a thunderbolt of a half-volley high into the right of the net beyond Seny Dieng in goal.

It was the finish of a confident attacker player and highlighted Kipre's technical ability. It was some strike.

But it got even better for the Baggies with an even better effort five minutes later. Kipre started it with a ball from defence through the lines. It was collected by Swift, who went on to do the rest.

Swift was afforded a gap in the middle of the pitch by Boro. But he strode forward and drove towards the box, one smart final touch sold a defender before a brilliant rising strike high beyond Dieng left the Senegalese keeper no chance.

It looked like lift-off in a big way for Corberan's men but progress was checked almost immediately once again, with a familiar Achilles Heel on show this season.

Barely two minutes later the visitors had one back as Sam Silvera's cross from the right was headed home by new striker Emmanuel Latte Lath.

It highlighted a potential problem with attacker Phillips at left wing-back. He was unable to cut out the cross and Latte Lath, in space between Semi Ajayi and Furlong, headed a low effort beyond Palmer.

A crazy seven minutes calmed down thereafter. But Phillips went close with a curled cross-shot inches wide at the back post before the troublesome Latte Lath spurned a glorious chance for 2-2.

He was too strong for Kipre - thought it might have been a foul - and easily turned Ajayi to face Palmer but his strike had too much power and, thankfully for Albion, rose over Palmer's crossbar.

In-form Phillips was dangerous again and shot just wide across Dieng's goal from a narrow angle after a good run.

At 2-1 at half-time it felt like there were more goals to come and those observers were proven right less than two minutes after the restart.

It was a nightmare for Boro left-back Lukas Engel in just his second appearance. His awful backpass, without checking, fed Thomas-Asante in the box with Dieng right on him.

Thomas-Asante was cool and collected and did everything right. He rounded Dieng and kept cool to slot in left-footed despite retreating defenders.

It wasn't job done but Albion were a lot of the way there. They should have been even closer after away full back Tommy Smith was shown a second yellow card moments later for a clear pull on Phillips.

Both bosses responded with changes, Boro first and lively winger Isiah Jones shot at Palmer after a fine run. Corberan turned to Townsend, Alex Mowatt and Josh Maja.

Boro sub Jones caused problems and Albion caused their own in a lull. Intensity and tempo had dropped since the red card and Jones ran on to a ball over the top before he curled against the post.

Carrick's men were then denied again with Mowatt and Erik Pieters asleep. Forss struck into the side netting as Palmer gave his colleagues an earfull.

It was edgy with 10 minutes to play when it needn't have been but Albion had stopped created chances and on 84 minutes Jeremy Simpson pointed to the spot for a Furlong handball from Jones' cross.

Forss made no mistake from the spot and drilled it down the middle to set up a tense finale - again.

Albion came good, though, and unlike Swansea a fortnight ago gave out no big final chances to the opposition.

New boy Maja had caught the eye with some nice touches and pieces of hold-up play throughout. It was another good cameo for the Nigerian but it was his fellow new boy, Sarmiento, with the last laugh.

Some mesmeric footwork allowed Albion to keep hold of the ball and the Brighton loanee was fed in the box to rifle a brilliant high finish beyond Dieng to seal the points on another dramatic afternoon. Relief was the overriding emotion as the fourth went in and full-time whistle sounded.

Teams

Albion (3-4-3): Palmer; Ajayi, Kipre, Pieters; Furlong, Molumby, Yokuslu (Mowatt, 64), Phillips (Townsend, 64); Wallace (Sarmiento, 69), Thomas-Asante (Maja, 64), Swift (Chalobah, 84).

Subs not used: Griffiths, Bartley, Ingram, Fellows.

Boro (4-2-3-1): Dieng; Smith, Fry, Lenihan, Engel; Hackney, Howson (c); Silvera (Forss, 72), Rogers (McNair, 59), McGree (I Jones, 59); Latte Lath (Crooks, 72).

Subs not used: Glover, J Jones, Barlaser, Gilbert, Coburn.

Attendance: 23,691 (1,965 Boro fans)

Referee: Jeremy Simpson