West Brom fight back to thump lowly Huddersfield

2 years ago 43

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West Brom's Mikey Johnston celebrates scoring

Mikey Johnston scored twice and Okay Yokuslu netted a long-range thunderbolt in a superb West Bromwich Albion comeback victory at relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers would have moved out of the Championship's bottom three with a win and led with Delano Burgzorg's 30th-minute goal, his left-footed angled shot squirming underneath visiting goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

But fifth-placed Albion, far from their best during a first half in which they did not have an attempt on goal, returned from the interval a team transformed.

They levelled when Andreas Weimann crossed low for on-loan Celtic winger Johnston to tap home from close range, before Kyle Bartley poked in after a scramble in the six-yard box to put Albion in front.

Turkey midfielder Yokuslu drilled in powerfully from 25 yards to make it 3-1 and Johnston slipped the ball underneath Lee Nicholls to score his sixth goal in his past seven appearances.

Relive West Brom's win at Huddersfield

It was the first time Albion had scored four times in a single half since a 5-2 home win against Hull City in August 2022.

The second-half fightback ensured a happy return to Huddersfield for Albion head coach Carlos Corberan, who took a team to the John Smith's Stadium for the first time since he left his role as Terriers boss in July 2022 - six weeks after they had been beaten by Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off final.

With nine games remaining, Albion are unlikely to catch any of the teams above them in the Championship - fourth-placed Southampton are 10 points ahead with a game in hand on the Baggies.

However, they are five points clear of seventh-placed Hull and in a good position to clinch a play-off spot.

At the other end of the Championship, it could hardly be closer after the latest round of fixtures in the second tier.

Third-from-bottom Huddersfield remain a point from safety, although the Terriers and 12th-placed Sunderland are separated by only nine points.

Line-ups

Huddersfield

Formation 3-5-2

1Nicholls
4Pearson
5HelikSubstituted forBalkerat 76'minutes
32Lees
17Spencer
18KasumuSubstituted forWardat 65'minutes
6HoggSubstituted forMatosat 76'minutes
8Rudoni
15HeadleySubstituted forKoromaat 65'minutes
7BurgzorgBooked at 31mins
14Thomas

Substitutes

10Koroma
11Diarra
12Maxwell
21Matos
23Wiles
24Balker
25Ward
30Jackson
39Iorpenda

West Brom

Formation 4-2-3-1

24Palmer
2FurlongSubstituted forPietersat 80'minutes
5BartleySubstituted forAjayiat 75'minutes
4Kipré
20Reach
35Yokuslu
27MowattBooked at 87mins
7J WallaceSubstituted forThomas-Asanteat 75'minutes
11Diangana
23JohnstonSubstituted forSwiftat 74'minutes
17WeimannSubstituted forFellowsat 57'minutes

Substitutes

6Ajayi
14Chalobah
15Pieters
19Swift
21Thomas-Asante
22M'Vila
26Ávila Gordón
31Fellows
33Griffiths

Referee:David Webb

Attendance:19,383

Live Text

Match ends, Huddersfield Town 1, West Bromwich Albion 4.
Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 1, West Bromwich Albion 4.
Attempt missed. Jack Rudoni (Huddersfield Town) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Sorba Thomas with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Cédric Kipré.
Grady Diangana (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Matthew Pearson (Huddersfield Town).
Alex Mowatt (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town).
Attempt blocked. Alex Matos (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by John Swift (West Bromwich Albion).
Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. John Swift (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Reach.
Offside, Huddersfield Town. Josh Koroma is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Brandon Thomas-Asante (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Grady Diangana.
Attempt missed. Matthew Pearson (Huddersfield Town) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Sorba Thomas following a set piece situation.
Alex Mowatt (West Bromwich Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Alex Mowatt (West Bromwich Albion).
Jack Rudoni (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Jack Rudoni (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Brandon Thomas-Asante (West Bromwich Albion).