Sheffield Wednesday 3 West Brom 0 - Report

While the flagging Baggies lost three games on the spin for the first time in Carlos Corberan's 18 months, the hosts all-but secured their Championship status barring an inconceivable goal swing.

It was as miserable a day as there has been under Corberan and Danny Rohl's impressive hosts were full value for their three points via - from an Albion perspective - a trio of sloppy goals.

It leaves Albion's record just one victory, against relegated Rotherham, in seven since the international break.

With the finish line and a play-off place in sight, Albion have shown signs of buckling and looked tired throughout at a sold-out Hillsborough in front of its booming atmosphere.

Corberan's men could've rubber-stamped their play-off ticket by bettering Hull's result against Ipswich, which takes place on Saturday night, but the visitors barely showed up in South Yorkshire.

A first run of three defeats under Corberan has come at an unhelpful time with talks of momentum into the play-offs. Now Albion face a nail-biting finale at home to Preston to secure a top-six place, if Hull take points at Ipswich. The Hillsborough reverse was just the second three-goal defeat under the head coach.

The electric Antony Musaba led the way for the Owls. He netted the first and had a hand in goals two and three for Ike Ugbo and Josh Windass with the Baggies slumped on their heels. Only Mikey Johnston emerged with any credit with bad days for Okay Yokuslu especially, as well as Alex Palmer and several other visiting players.

Corberan handed a surprise start to the experienced Matt Phillips for the first time since his hamstring injury on December 2. Youngster Tom Fellows, who had felt groin discomfort in the week, was only a substitute.

Phillips was started on the right of Albion's attack, while Rohl's hosts operated with their usual back five.

Captain Jed Wallace continued to lead the line, flanked by his fellow attackers, with Brandon Thomas-Asante, back from suspension, on the bench.

Alex Mowatt was handed a breather in midfield as Yann M'Vila kept his place in midfield with Okay Yokuslu.

There was a big-game atmosphere in the air for the penultimate fixture of the regular campaign, with so much on the line for both.

Hillsborough's deafening roar greeted kick-off and Albion threatened to wobble out of the traps as a blind Conor Townsend pass fed Ike Ugbo but the frontman's shot was blocked.

The hosts started the brighter as midfielder Will Vaulks had a rocket from range palmed away by Palmer. Johnston tried to get Albion going on the counter-attack.

Corberan's men settled 15 or 20 minutes in as Darnell Furlong's flick from a corner caused mayhem before Grady Diangana and Wallace combined to feed Johnston. The winger's low strike inside the box was saved by James Beadle.

Yokuslu's header from a Johnston corner barely stretched Beadle before, seconds later from a corner down the other end, the hosts led.

Vaulks' corner was half-cleared and headed back into the box by the midfielder where it dropped to Josh Windass, whose low strike was saved by Palmer.

The keeper could only parry back into the mix, though, and Musaba was on his toes to beat Yokuslu to the rebound and convert from a tight angle.

Corberan complained to the fourth official about an apparent foul on Conor Townsend as the ball was half-cleared before Wednesday opened the scoring.

The opener knocked wind out of Albion sails and it took Corberan's men some time to recover.

Set-pieces continued to look Wednesday's main undoing and the Baggies' way through. Johnston's delivery was met by Bartley and his bullet header - which replays showed was flying just wide - cannoned off team-mate Wallace.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, M'Vila and Diangana got in each other's way as the former shot tamely from Johnston's wicked delivery.

Corberan wanted an electric response in the second period and his side delivered anything but.

The Baggies were already indebted to Bartley for deflected a goalbound Vaulks strike just wide before the deficit was doubled.

Musaba went on a jinking run ended by Kipre as penalty claims fell on deaf ears. Albion should have cleared the rebound, again through Yokuslu, but he dallied and Ugbo pinched it off the Turk's toes.

Ugbo set himself, running away from goal, but thumped an angled strike high in past Palmer.

Corberan responded seconds later with a quadruple change as he introduced Adam Reach, Fellows, Thomas-Asante and Mowatt.

Wednesday, meanwhile, were hungry for what they felt would be a killer third and Musaba's cross was just inches from Windass.

Albion's big chance to halve the deficit came on the hour but Yokuslu's unmarked header from Johnston's cross flew over when he should've hit the target.

Palmer then saved from Ugbo from close-range before Windass found the post with a header from an impossible angle.

Fellows and Mowatt were brighter and John Swift did so later on but it all felt in vain. Reach's cross was superbly cleared ahead of finding Furlong.

But it was all moot as, with 20 minutes left, Windass netted an easy third.

The superb Musaba galloped forward unchecked and played back to skipper Barry Bannan in acres of space. The midfielder's strike from range was poorly dealt with by Palmer whose parry dropped to Windass to slide home yet another rebound.

Albion turned up inside the final 15 minutes and had efforts through Bartley, again from corners, Swift, Mowatt and Diangana, all from distant, but Wednesday were already home and hosed on a miserable afternoon for the Baggies.

Teams

Sheffield Wednesday (3-4-1-2): Beadle; Palmer, Iorfa, Bernard (Famewo, 86); Valentin, Vaulks, Bannan (c) (B Diaby, 77), Johnson; Musaba (Gassama, 77); Windass (Paterson, 77), Ugbo (Smith, 77).

Subs not used: Dawson, Pederson, Cadamarteri, M Diaby.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Kipre, Townsend (Fellows, 55); Yokuslu, M'Vila (Mowatt, 55); Phillips (Reach, 55), Diangana, Johnston (Swift, 71); Wallace (Thomas-Asante, 55).

Subs not used: Griffiths, Ajayi, Chalobah, Maja.

Attendance: 33,295

Referee: Graham Scott