Norwich 2 West Brom 0 - Report
Albion's travel sickness worsened as they fell to fourth defeat in five away games in a limp effort at Norwich.
The Canaries were worthy winners through Josh Sargent's 13th-minute opener and Jonathan Rowe's clincher 19 minutes from time in Norfolk.
Carlos Corberan's visitors were bright for the first 10 minutes and final 20 minutes - before the game's opener, and after the killer second, but otherwise lacklustre for the most part as a worrying trend away from the Black Country continued.
The Baggies, who stay fifth in the Championship with the gap cut below them, have mustered just four away league wins from 14 attempts this season, totally at odds to an impeccable record at The Hawthorns.
Albion seemed to lose all focus and concentration after Sargent struck on the break for David Wagner's hosts against the run of play. The rest of the first period was a non-event before Corberan's men again began the second period brightly but missed chances and faded. Rowe put the game to bed in the closing stages before the visitors' unsuccessful attempt to hit back.
To add insult to injury, Albion lost midfielder Okay Yokuslu - who had endured a very difficult half hour - to an apparent leg problem shortly afterwards with his place in next weekend's FA Cup Black Country derby a doubt.
Albion were hit by the blow of losing in-form youngster Tom Fellows to illness prior to the clash.
Fellows did not travel to Norfolk and was struck by the illness in the Baggies' camp during the week, including to head coach Corberan, who had to stay away from the training ground in the early part of the week.
He was replaced by fit-again Jed Wallace, however, who was free to start again after his adductor injury following two matches on the sidelines and one cameo from the bench last week.
Andi Weimann made do with a place on the bench, where he was joined by academy youngster Harry Whitwell.
Corberan would have been pleased with his side's first 10 minutes. Albion looked sharp, fit, imaginative and confident. John Swift sent a free-kick wide and there were other dangerous balls into the box. Brandon Thomas-Asante had a soft-looking penalty appeal turned down.
It was from a Baggies move that the hosts earned a 13th-minute lead against the run of play.
Yokuslu tried to thread the eye of a needle with a through ball that didn't look on and the hosts broke excellently through skipper Kenny McLean.
The Scot judged a perfect ball through for Sargent, though Cedric Kipre appeared to lose his bearings on whether to drop or play offside, leaving Sargent in on goal.
Defenders retreated, but the American kept his cool and slotted a finish beyond Alex Palmer, though it did take a flick off the keeper on its way in.
The opener totally unsettled Albion with Yokuslu especially sloppy. Defender Kyle Bartley had to take a caution with a professional foul after another poor pass from the Turk.
Darnell Furlong blocked well from Sargent after a weak Kipre clearance before Borja Sainz hooked over. It then became Rowe v Palmer as Norwich's livewire winger saw an effort from the edge of the box parried away before a similar strike, this time curled, saved by the keeper's fingertips.
Left-back Dimitris Giannoulis blazed an effort over as Yokuslu, who had endured a poor afternoon, had to hobble off with an apparent leg problem, with Wolves on the horizon next week. Nathaniel Chalobah was introduced and one of his side's better performers.
The Baggies could do little to stem the tide and looked hurried and low on confidence with the ball. Referee Sunny Gill was right to wave away an Albion penalty appeal on Furlong from Swift's bright pass as goalkeeper Angus Gunn just about won the race to the ball.
Gabriel Sara curled a fine free-kick just over as the half wound down before, from nowhere, Brandon Thomas-Asante thought he'd bagged an equaliser. Conor Townsend delivered from left but the striker controlled with his arm, quite clearly, before spinning well to finish int the corner. The away fans' joy was shortlived.
Corberan unsurprisingly rolled the dice at the break by hanging Weimann his debut from the bench, with the quiet Adam Reach withdrawn.
The Austrian played his part in a bright start to the second period in which Albion fashioned a gilt-edged chance.
Chalobah released Wallace whose low cross for Swift was perfect. The attacker took a touch 12 yards out but sent his strike agonizingly wide of the far post.
Seconds later Wallace volleys a fraction wide of the near post as Albion pressed. Rowe sent a tough header well over down the other end.
Corberan introduced Dike with 20 minutes left with his side slightly in the ascendency but the hosts put the contest to bed moments later.
The Canaries managed to break clear with Sara in space. He fed Giannoulis whose low cross was tucked in from close range by Rowe for 2-0.
It looked game over but Albion could've changed things. Furlong climbed well to head Townsend's cross at Gunn, who held on well. Dike was then unmarked from Mowatt's cross but couldn't generate the power to beat the keeper before, the clearest chance of the lot saw Weimann nod down Townsend's delivery for Dike, who lifted well over when off-balance.
Rowe was close to a third at the other end but it wasn't needed with Albion well beaten as Norwich cut the gap to four points.
Teams
Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong (Pipa, 83), Bartley (Taylor, 83), Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu (Chalobah, 36), Mowatt; Wallace (c), Swift, Reach (Weimann, 45); Thomas-Asante (Dike, 69).
Subs not used: Griffiths, Pieters, Whitwell, Malcolm.
Norwich (4-2-3-1): Gunn; Stacey, Duffy, Gibson, Giannoulis (McCallum, 90+1); McLean (c), Sara; Sainz (Fassnacht, 64), Barnes (Idah, 80), Rowe (Hernandez, 90+1); Sargent (Nunez, 64).
Subs not used: Long, Gibbs, Sorensen, Fisher.
Attendance: 25,800 (1,402 Albion fans)
Referee: Sunny Singh Gill
