Coventry 0 West Brom 2 - Report
Albion and Carlos Corberan continue to make a mockery of thinning squad options as a 2-0 win at Coventry lifted them back into the Championship's top six.
Grady Diangana and Brandon Thomas-Asante each made it two goals in as many games with the visitors' efforts in either half to inflict a first home defeat of the season on the Sky Blues.
Corberan's men climbed to fifth with their sixth league win in 14 this season and, somehow, do not appear hamstrung by the lack of available bodies, especially in the forward area.
Thomas-Asante, the only senior striker, had to make do with a place on the bench behind wingers Diangana and Wallace but emerged to net a wonderful second goal that owed much to the brilliance of Matt Phillips.
Lowly Coventry's struggles continued. Mark Robins' men look sharp but fluffed their lines in the final third and Albion were ruthless when it counted, with a sixth clean sheet in seven crucial to their momentum.
Seven points from a possible nine in this block of five games sandwiched between two international breaks, and with another two contests to come against sides around them in Hull and Southampton things look promising for the Baggies, whose away end at the CBS Arena gleefully chanted about the prospect of promotion.
Albion were boosted as Cedric Kipre came through training OK over the weekend to put himself in contention after the knee injury against QPR last Tuesday and Corberan included the Ivorian from the off - and he excelled throughout.
Corberan sprung a surprise by including Pipa from the off for the Spaniard's full league bow after his deadline day loan from Bulgaria outfit Ludogorets. Darnell Furlong dropped to the bench.
Thomas-Asante also dropped out as Albion's second change with Alex Mowatt coming in as an extra midfielder. Skipper Jed Wallace led the line, supported by Diangana.
It was the turn of midfielder and attacker Harry Whitwell and Reyes Cleary to be Albion academy prospects included on the Baggies bench.
Robins rang the changes for the Sky Blues with five changes from an underwhelming 2-0 defeat at Rotherham last week.
Albion were sharp from the off and barely let City touch the ball for 10 minutes. Kyle Bartley crashed a header against the post but had been flagged for offside as Corberan men looked in the mood.
The hosts struck back and were a threat themselves. Kipre stood strong to block Haji Wright before Alex Palmer parried away from dangerman Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
But on 17 minutes it was the away end celebrating after Diangana found the gaping net just in front of the travelling fans.
Albion broke forward and the all-action Nathaniel Chalobah - especially busy in the first half - saw a swirling strike from distance spilled poorly by goalkeeper Ben Wilson.
Diangana was quickest to react from close range but there was still work to be done, as the winger skilfully nipped around a recovering Wilson to hammer into an empty net for his first back-to-back Albion goals since Project Restart in July 2020.
The Sky Blues recovered well. Ben Sheaf shot well over from distance and Albion relied on countless top Kipre clearances as the hosts came on strong.
Robins' side's clear moment of the half came on 33 minutes as American striker Wright somehow stabbed wide from an excellent Liam Kitching cross from the left.
Palmer was then forced into a fine low save from Wright after City worked a neat move to play the strike in at a tight angle.
Home midfielder Jamie Allen had a low shot held by Palmer as the interval offered some respite for Corberan's side.
A bright second half continued where the first half left off and Albion nerves were shredded as Wright was played through on goal shortly into the restart.
Wright had time and space but somehow steered wide of Palmer's right post. It was a huge let off. Corberan sacrificed Chalobah, walking a tightrope with a booking, for striker Thomas-Asante.
It worked a treat with Thomas-Asante a focal point with Wallace and Diangana for support. Diangana was denied by Wilson but flagged offside and Pipa saw a shot blocked well-placed.
The CBS crowd was lifted by O'Hare's introduction from the bench but it was Albion's evergreen Phillips who lit up the contest with a telling second.
Phillips turned well under pressure on the left touchline inside his own half. The experienced winger then engineered a wonderful outside-of-the-foot through ball to send Thomas-Asante clear.
Replays showed the strike was fractionally offside, but Albion's frontman kept his composure on the left of the box, opened up his body and caressed into the top corner.
City huffed and puffed but Albion's job was done on fine night for the buoyant Baggies.
Teams
Coventry City (3-4-2-1): Wilson; Thomas (Latibeaudiere, 65), McFadzean (c), Thomas; van Ewijk (O'Hare, 65), Sheaf, Eccles, Dasilva; Sakamoto, Allen (Godden, 78); Wright (Simms, 78).
Subs not used: Collins, Binks, Bidwell, Ayari, Stretton.
Albion (3-5-2): Palmer; Kipre, Bartley, Pieters; Pipa (Furlong, 81), Yokuslu, Mowatt (Molumby, 81), Chalobah (Thomas-Asante, 52), Phillips; Diangana (Fellows, 81), Wallace (c) (Townsend, 64).
Subs not used: Griffiths, Taylor, Whitwell, Cleary.
Attendance: 23,971
Referee: Peter Bankes
