Middlesbrough 1 West Brom 0 - Report

The Baggies went to the North East looking to give the travelling fans an early Christmas present - but what they produced was anything but.

Rogers, who came through the Baggies youth system before leaving for Man City in 2019, finished off a simple attacking move to give the hosts a half time lead - but in the second half Albion never looked like getting back into it.

In the end, the scoreline flattered Carlos Corberan's men who were cut open time and time again, and could have fallen further behind but for some poor Boro finishing.

Report

Despite the injury curse rearing its ugly head again in recent weeks - Albion were buoyed by the return of John Swift, but the play maker was only deemed fit enough for the bench as Carlos Corberan named the same side that were held by Stoke City.

For Boro, they were suffering an injury crisis of their own, missing a number of key senior players with Michael Carrick handing a full league debut to young goalkeeper Tom Glover.

It was the hosts though who almost drew first blood, as Rogers' through ball cut open his former side before Isaiah Jones was denied by the feet of Alex Palmer.

Corberan's men then settled into the game but Jones caused problems again on the quarter hour mark, as he latched onto a Sam Greenwood through ball before going down under pressure from Cedric Kipre, who went into the book.

Albion's first big chances came 20 minutes in as Kyle Bartley saw a looping header from a corner shave the post - before the ball was recycled back in with Darnell Furlong's bullet header palmed over by debutant Glover.

Momentum shifted on a number of occasions throughout the first period - with neither side able to really take advantage when having a spell on top.

That was until five minutes before half time when Boro managed to mak the breakthrough - but from an Albion persuasion it was far too simple for the hosts.

Dan Barlaster slipped in Lukas Engel down the left and he had time to pick out an unmarked Rogers, who himself had the time and space to set himself and stroke home from 12 yards out.

It will have been a goal that angered Baggies boss Corberan at the break - with the game on the whole having been a pretty even contest.

Albion were spared by the assistant referee's offside flag seconds after the restart following Rav van den Berg's close range finish, but aside from Okay Yokuslu's glancing header it was Boro turning the screw early on as they hunted down a second.

Palmer produced a point blank save to tip a close range Rogers effort onto the post - with Boro carrying a threat every time they came forward.

The Albion academy graduate was the main instigator for Boro as he then set up Greenwood for what looked like a certain goal - only for the striker to blaze over.

At the other end, Albion had carried little to no attacking threat for the majority of the half with the game only looking like it was going to end one way.

Corberan turned to Tom Fellows and then the returning Swift 15 minutes from time - in a bid to inject some spark into Albion's lifeless attacking display.

But it did little turn the tide.

Albion did finally have a sustained spell of possession in the final third as the clock ticked towards the 90 minute mark.

Substitute Jayson Molumby had half a shout for a penalty as he went down under pressure from Barlaster, but Albion just didn't show enough throughout the second period.

And in truth, they were lucky to come away with just a narrow 1-0 defeat.

Teams

Boro (4-2-3-1): Glover, Van Den Berg, Barlaser (Clarke 89), Fry, Rogers (Crooks 79), I Jones, Dikjsteel, Howson, Silvera (McCree 79), Engel, Greenwood (Coburn 86)

Subs not used: J Jones, Clarke, Gilbert, Bangura, Kavanagh, McCabe

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer, Furlong (Pipa 79), Kipre, Bartley (Ajayi 74), Townsend, Yokuslu (Molumby 74), Mowatt, Wallace (Swift), Sarmiento (Fellows 59), Diangana, Thomas-Asante

Subs not used: Griffiths, Pipa, Reach, Pieters, Chalobah