West Brom 2-0 Ipswich Town: Blues shut out in defeat at the Hawthorns

The Blues fell behind in the opening stages of the match as Darnell Furlong flicked a header into the net from a corner. They responded well, but the game was ultimately killed off by a quick counter, where Grady Diangana fired them into a two-goal lead shortly after the restart.

West Brom didn’t take the immediate high-press approach that we’ve seen some Championship sides take against Town in recent weeks. Instead, they took a slow and methodical approach in possession, springing forward in the fifth minute when Jed Wallace found space to run down the right.

Town fell behind early on at the Hawthorns (Image: Ross Halls)

His low cross fizzed just past Brandon Thomas-Asante, with Luke Woolfenden clearing the danger for a corner. It proved to be their undoing, however, as Matt Phillips’ delivery was glanced in by Furlong to give the Baggies a 1-0 lead inside six minutes.

It was clear Ipswich had to find their feet, which they were slowly allowed to do as the hosts opted against turning the screw. Their threat really came from the right flank, coming close after Brandon Williams’ crunching tackle on Phillips allowed Conor Chaplin to play Wes Burns in with a sumptuous pass, winning a corner.

The Wales international had a big chance when the ball fell to his feet in the 22nd minute, but he inexplicable lashed his shot miles wide.

Wes Burns seemed to be Town's outlet down the right flank (Image: Pagepix Ltd)

Home fans grew frustrated as Town began to create more chances, with referee Gavin Ward waving away a penalty shout from Kyle Bartley on Leif Davis that infuriated the left-back and his teammates. However, they did lack a cutting edge in the box, with Alex Palmer rarely tested despite some nervy moments in the Baggies’ back line.

The tempo dipped soon after as the clock ticked towards half-time. Town lost focus for a brief moment in the 40th minute, allowing West Brom to slip Wallace through down the right. The Blues got players back just in time to prevent him from setting up Thomas-Asante, clearing the ball out of the danger zone.

It felt like a game where Town could get something by going in just a goal down, especially if they started fast. George Hirst and Chaplin combined to play Sam Morsy into space down the right, but his cross was cleared behind by Kyle Bartley.

The Blues were caught on the counter for West Brom's second goal (Image: West Brom)

West Brom managed to deal with the danger, launching a counter as Hladky rushed back from near the halfway line. Wallace picked out Thomas-Asante, who in turn set up Diangana to roll the ball into the net to make it 2-0 in the 47th minute.

Ipswich didn't react. A low ball from Wallace found Phillips, but he couldn't keep his shot down from point-blank range, smashing his shot over the bar.

Frustration sunk in for Williams, who clattered Conor Townsend with a cynical late challenge, picking up a yellow card. The break prompted Kieran McKenna to make a double substitution, bringing on Massimo Luongo and Marcus Harness for Jack Taylor and Nathan Broadhead.

Skipper Sam Morsy picked up his eighth booking of the season in the defeat at the Hawthorns (Image: Ross Halls)

Ultimately, the changes did little to alter the flow of the match. West Brom seemed happy to sit on the ball and patiently wait for space to open up, while Ipswich didn't have the answers to their rigid defensive line.

McKenna rolled the dice again, with Freddie Ladapo, Kayden Jackson and Dane Scarlett all introduced towards the end of the match. It felt like a mountain to climb at that point, even though the Blues have achieved such feats in the past.

Scarlett came close to finding the back of the net from distance late on, but the task proved to be too much for Town this time, with a deserved 2-0 defeat reminding everyone how hard the Championship can be.

West Brom XI: 4-2-3-1: Palmer; Furlong, Bartler, Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu (Molumby 71'), Mowatt; Wallace (Ajayi 90'), Diangana (Swift 71'), Phillips (Sarmiento 71'); Thomas-Asante (Maja 80')

Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Hladky; Williams, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Taylor (Luongo 60'); Burns (Jackson 75'), Chaplin (Scarlett 83'), Broadhead (Harness 60'); Hirst (Ladapo 75')

Attendance: 24,001 (1,989 away)