West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Coventry: Johnston & Diangana combine for Baggies win

West Bromwich Albion completed a season’s double over Coventry City to further cement their place in the Championship play-off places.

Grady Diangana then made it 2-0 from close range before half-time when the Coventry defence were foxed by a near-post dummy from skipper Jed Wallace to Tom Fellows’ right-wing cross and the Baggies man was left unattended to get on the end of it.

Haji Wright gave Coventry hope with a 73rd-minute penalty after Kasey Palmer had gone down under the challenge of Cedric Kipre.

Albion’s 12th win in 18 Championship home games this season lifted them eight points clear of ninth-placed Coventry, who suffered a second successive Friday night defeat after their home slip-up to bogey side Preston North End a week ago.

More importantly for the Baggies, they are now seven points clear of the side in seventh, Norwich City.

Coventry had not won at The Hawthorns since December 2007, having not even scored in any of their past three visits – and things quickly looked bleak for them.

Johnston, who had scored in the first minute in lAlbion’s last but one home game, cut in from the left and, virtually unchallenged, had the time and space to compose himself before curling home a right-foot stunner.

Coventry twice went close before the break with their own right-foot curlers. The first from Josh Eccles somehow bending wide of the left upright before Palmer took careful aim only to land his effort just the other side of the goal frame.

But on 36 minutes the Albion lead was doubled, a bit out of the blue, when Diangana was on hand to slide home Fellows’ cross from six yards.

Coventry boss Mark Robins brought on top scorer Wright at half-time for Callum O’Hare – but they only got one goal back.

Wright coolly converted his spot-kick for his 12th goal of the season – his first in five games. But going pointless in successive matches for the first time since early November is a bad time for Coventry to hit a flat spot.

Who’s next?

Albion now face successive away matches, at Queens Park Rangers next Wednesday night, when new owner Patel is expected to return to watch them again, then at Huddersfield on the following Sunday.

Coventry also have a midweek game, at home to Rotherham United on Tuesday night before travelling to Watford next Saturday.

West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberan:

“I knew the potential of Coventry City. But I am very pleased with the result. The three points are very important.

“The first goal was real quality. Great finishing from Johnston.

“The second goal, we switched sides and stretched them.

“Conor Townsend came off as he was suffering some tightness in the hamstring.”

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC Sport:

“In the first half we were too passive. A nothing performance. We didn’t lay a glove on them. We gave them too much of the ball – and they’re a quality team, They’re in the play-offs for a reason.

“For all that, we still created three good opportunities in the first half but, in the second half, we were more aggressive.

“We got back in it with a penalty, which Haji Wright took well and we had enough time to get something. But we’d already given them a two-goal start and given ourselves too much to do.

“When we’ve got everybody fit, we’re a match for anybody, but we’ve got injuries to key players and we’ve now got to make sure this season doesn’t just fizzle out.”