Mikey Johnston’s 10-minute double gave West Brom a 2-0 home victory over Bristol City in Sunday’s Sky Bet Championship match at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies’ summer deadline day arrival from Celtic scored his first goal of the season after 34 minutes following a quiet opening to proceedings.
The winger then followed up that effort with a classy finish on the stroke of half-time as West Brom ended their final home game of 2024 victorious.
Bristol City, who have not won at this venue since 1993, head into the Christmas period having failed to win any of their previous four matches.
John Swift sought to catch Max O’Leary off guard when West Brom took a free-kick quickly but the Robins goalkeeper managed to unconventionally push the dipping drive away from goal.
Centre-half Kyle Bartley headed over the bar moments later but the game, being played out in typical wintry conditions with howling wind and driving rain, started slowly – until the hosts’ moment of magic.
Tom Fellows, behind only Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz in the Championship assist charts before this fixture, created an eighth goal of the campaign when he stood up a cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Despite his diminutive frame, Johnston powered home a header for his first goal of the season.
Things got even better for the Republic of Ireland international minutes later when West Brom trio Swift, Josh Maja and Alex Mowatt combined in the middle of the pitch to create another opening for Johnston, who picked up the ball on the left, cut inside and fired a rasping strike beyond O’Leary.
The visitors almost responded before half-time when Anis Mehmeti’s cross to the back post found the head of Luke McNally but Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer was equal to his modest effort and punched the ball over the bar.
However, Fally Mayulu gave Palmer a little more to think about after the interval when he directed a firm drive on target which required dealing with.
If City had hoped to build up a head of steam in order to force themselves back into the game, the momentum they were looking for failed to arrive.
Indeed West Brom looked likelier to add to their tally, firstly through Maja and then Fellows. Substitute Uros Racic also stung the palms of O’Leary from the edge of the penalty area.
In the closing stages Devante Cole – West Brom’s summer signing who made only his seventh substitute appearance in this match – was fed by Grady Diangana but could only poke the ball past the far post at full-stretch.
Fortunately for him and West Brom, the job was done.
The managers
West Brom’s Carlos Corberan:
“Bristol City and us are going to be the teams who suffer in this period.
“Teams like Derby are going to play four games in a row – we are going to play five. They have a week for the Thursday game, while we only played on Sunday.
“It is a physical disadvantage. It is madness. Playing against a team at this time of the season who have had two days’ more recovery is unfair.
“We cannot say we aren’t going for results, it’s my responsibility but it’s too much.
“Five games in a row. We shouldn’t have played today, knowing the games coming. We should’ve played Saturday, like the other teams in the Championship.
“We have only three days in between and it will be difficult from the physical perspective. It is what it is.”
Bristol City’s Liam Manning:
“The better team definitely won, they were better than us. We were a little passive at times, caught between pressing and blocking.
“That’s the problem when you disconnect. The space came from counter attacks. When they turned it over they were really quick from their box to our box. We have to be better and I look at myself first and foremost.
“They’re so well organised defensively, it’s a tough place to come. We didn’t get into good areas enough. We ended up getting picked off.
“We need to respond on Boxing Day now. We need to win more games, it’s as simple as that. Ultimately we’re in a results business.
“We have to start winning games, you don’t want to drift and go too many without. If you want to push on you have to get consecutive results and we haven’t done that enough.”
