Town’s dismal start to the season continued as goals from Youssouf Mulumbu and Robert Koren saw West Brom to a comfortable win at the Hawthorns. Richard Wright saved a Luke Moore penalty and made a successive of excellent saves, preventing the home side from winning by a greater margin.

Roy Keane made four changes from the side which lost 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Skipper Gareth McAuley, Damien Delaney, Colin Healy and Tamás Priskin dropped out and Tommy Smith, Owen Garvan, Jon Stead and David Wright came into the side.

Pablo Couñago and Alan Quinn were amongst the subs along with new keeper Arran Lee-Barrett, who joined the club on a short-term deal until January yesterday. Alex Bruce, at centre-half alongside Pim Balkestein, captained the side.

The first chance of the half came in the third minute when Chris Brunt crossed from the right and Richard Wright saved Robert Koren’s diving header.

Town’s first opportunity came soon afterwards, Jon Walters, playing wide on the left of midfield with Lee Martin on the right, spotting Scott Carson off his line but putting his shot over the bar.

On nine, the home side went ahead. Balkestein scrambled Jonas Olsson’s flicked a near post header from Brunt’s corner off the line and the ball was half-cleared but Youssouf Mulumbu’s low shot flew through a crowd of players and beat Richard Wright.

Town quickly went looking for an equaliser, Balkestein and then Wickham having efforts blocked.

But the Blues were all too often losing possession cheaply and clearcut chances were proving difficult to create against a West Brom side giving them little time on the ball. At the other end, there seemed to be danger every time the Baggies attacked with Wright making another good save from Brunt in the 19th minute.

From the resultant corner, the Blues broke quickly and Martin sent Wickham away, however, the youngster rushed his shot and gave Carson no problem.

Wickham saw a subsequent effort deflect wide, but most of the games chances were at the other end with Wright keeping Albion’s lead down with a series of excellent saves. On the half hour, a block from Luke Moore fell to Koren, which Wright also saved, although the linesman had wrong flagged the impressive West Brom midfielder offside.

Walters shot wide as the Blues started to put one or two more fluent moves together. However, on 37 Balkestein got caught in possession 10 yards outside the Town area, Koren exchanged a one-two with Chris Wood, took the ball wide of Wright and slipped the ball into the net to put his side 2-0 in front.

Wright continued to impress in the minutes prior to the break, stopping a strike from Marek Cech, then racing out ahead of Wood to clear after Garvan had inadvertently played the New Zealander in on goal.

Just before half-time, Wright made yet another fine save, pushing Wood’s low shot from the edge of the area wide of the post.

The Blues were lucky to go in only two goals down with Wright’s heroics giving the score a more respectable look. Again Town surrendered possession too easily and allowed the opposition to create plenty of chances. The Blues had a decent spell between the goals where they passed the ball well, but rarely looked like pulling a goal back.

Roy Keane was clearly unimpressed with how things had gone and made two changes, Alan Quinn and Jack Colback taking over from Owen Garvan and Jon Stead. Colback joined Liam Trotter in the centre of midfield with Quinn going to the left, Walters to the right and Martin up front.

West Brom continued to push for their third, Moore shooting wide in the opening minute of the second period.

Town came close to pulling a goal back two minutes later when David Wright crossed and Quinn and then Trotter had efforts blocked. The ball came back out and was returned to Walters, who headed wide.

Wright made another save from Moore, but the Blues were showing more in front of goal than they had in the first half, Walters forcing Carson into a fine save with a 25-yard strike which was moving away from the England goalkeeper.

But it was Wright who was catching the eye and continued his stunning form with yet another save from Moore after the striker had exchanged a one-two with Wood inside the area.

Carson saved Balkestein’s header from Quinn’s freekick, then the Dutchman nodded over from Martin’s corner, clashing heads with Trotter as he did so.

Tamás Priskin took over from Connor Wickham with 20 minutes to go. Two minutes later, Colback did well to dispossess Mulumbu but failed to spot Priskin’s run and lost possession.

The Baggies should have gone three in front in the 73rd minute when Tommy Smith slid in and caught Shaun Cummings to concede a penalty. Moore struck a weak kick down the centre of the goal which Wright saved with his trailing leg, Bruce heading away the striker’s equally poor follow-up.

Bruce blocked a goalbound Wood effort for which Town were awarded a goalkick by the otherwise excellent referee, Steve Tanner.

Town’s afternoon was rather summed up by Lee Martin tripping over a corner flag when taking a corner in the 75th minute, shortly before Jerome Thomas shot wide for the home side.

Alex Bruce headed straight at Carson from a Lee Martin freekick, prior to Wright making another save from Moore. In the final moments Quinn curled a 20-yard freekick over the bar.

Town could have no complaints about the scoreline, having been outclassed by a West Brom side who seem certain to be in the automatic promotion running come May.

The Blues look a long way from being contenders at present with the Baggies controlling the game from the off and Richard Wright’s superb performance in goal having kept the score down to a relatively respectable level.

Town’s young side kept going and created one or two chances but only infrequently tested Carson.

While Town, who now sit second bottom of the Championship, will only rarely face a side as good as West Brom this season, on current form Roy Keane will have a major job if the Blues are even to be play-off contenders this season.

Town: R Wright, D Wright, Smith, Bruce, Balkestein, Garvan (Colback 46), Trotter, Walters, Martin, Wickham (Priskin 70), Stead (Quinn 46). Unused: Lee-Barrett, McAuley, Couñago, Upson. Att: 19,390.

Photo: Action Images

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