Rampant Albion came from behind to win for the first time this season as four goals in 22 second-half minutes completed a ruthless turnaround at lowly Huddersfield Town.
Carlos Corberan’s side delivered one of their poorest 45 minutes in memory on the head coach’s first return to the John Smith’s Stadium and were deservedly behind to Delano Burgzorg at the interval.
But the Spaniard inspired his troops at the break and Albion didn’t look back as they went level seven minutes after the restart through the first of Mikey Johnston’s double.
The returning Kyle Bartley – the Baggies’ star man – scrambled in a key second on the hour before the goal of the game by some distance in Okay Yokuslu’s missile for the Turk’s first goal of the season six minutes later.
Celtic loan star Johnston saw out the clash with his second, a sixth goal in seven games, as rampant Albion cantered to a first win in Huddersfield since 2010.
It is the first time Albion have been unbeaten in five away games since the start of Valerien Ismael’s tenure as a five-point gap to seventh was once again opened up with nine games left. Corberan had the returning Bartley and Brandon Thomas-Asante to call on with the promotion run-in well and truly on them.
The visitors’ transformation before and after the break was staggering. From the worst half of the season to one of the best, Corberan’s men suddenly gave the home defenders something to think about after a first half of zero shots against the drop-zone Terriers.
Corberan welcomed back defender Bartley to his back four as the centre-half passed fit to return. He was due to return at QPR only to suffer a calf relapse, but trained on Saturday to play. He came into the backline for Erik Pieters.
Albion’s other change was Andi Weimann to lead the line. The Austrian loanee replaced Tom Fellows and moved into the lone forward role as skipper Jed Wallace returned to the flank.
Also back among the Baggies’ ranks was striker Thomas-Asante, who returned to the bench after a four-game absence. Left-back Conor Townsend (hamstring) was not passed fit and Adam Reach retained his place.
Andre Breitenreiter’s hosts were boosted by the return of skipper Jonathan Hogg from suspension in midfield. The influential and experienced Hogg missed out in the miserable midweek defeat at Cardiff.
There was little to write home about from the first 20 minutes in grim conditions at the John Smith’s Stadium in front of a fairly lifeless Sunday lunchtime atmosphere.
It became fairly clear in the opening stages that Corberan’s men would be offered plenty of possession by the hosts. There were brief signs of Albion breaking through the Terriers’ midfield but on a couple of occasions passes were overhit to Reach and Weimann.
The visitors were ropey with some passes out from goalkeeper Alex Palmer and defence. One led to a strike from home dangerman Sorba Thomas flashing wide from 20 yards.
One especially wayward clearance from Town keeper Lee Nicholls cannoned off Grady Diangana but flew well off-target.
Albion looked wobbly and indecisive with the ball, even in easier moments. It became their undoing.
The Dutchman beat Darnell Furlong easily and sent a low strike from an angle under Palmer, who was beaten as the ball slid under his frame.
Albion were at sixes and sevens and had Bartley to thank clearing from Jack Rudoni seconds later as Yokuslu couldn’t take possession. Albion limped into the half-time break without a single shot despite 61 per cent of the ball.
Corberan resisted changes but moved Wallace into a central role alongside Weimann leading the line as Diangana went right.
Albion were immediately improved as if a switch had been flicked. They purposely looked to lift the ball forward quicker and turn the home defenders.
Furlong sent a powerful header from Johnston’s corner at Nicholls for his side’s first effort in a sign of things to come.
Albion’s equaliser was smart. Furlong’s first-touch throw ball was dummied by Wallace, allowing the just-onside Weimann to reach the byline and patiently pick out an intelligent low cross, where Johnston was on hand to bury from six yards.
Seconds later the Terriers might have led again. Yokuslu was sloppy and let Burgzorg in on goal but Palmer stood up to make a crucial one-on-one save.
Corberan replaced Weimann with the pace of Fellows moments later and on the hour the visitors had turned around the scoreline in eight minutes.
This goal was more agricultural – but Albion didn’t care and they all count. A corner was only half-cleared and Wallace smartly smashed a low half-volley into a sea of bodies. Several dark shirts had a stab and it was Bartley who emerged to toe a dribbler into the corner for the contest’s crucial goal.
Furlong shot wide from range in front of the away end who had transformed from frustration to elation and Premier League-bound chanting.
Home boss Breitenreiter made an attacking change on 65 minutes but seconds later the Baggies scored an important third – and in stunning style.
Johnston embarked on a typical, surging run from left to right but a heavy final touch saw the ball roll perfectly and invitingly into the path of Yokuslu.
The Turk had not scored since the final day of last season at Swansea but needed no second invitation to unleash a missile towards the left corner that kept rising until it flew high beyond Nicholls. It was unstoppable and a goal of the contender alongside Johnston’s many beauties.
Johnston was denied from distance again before taking the closer, yet more unfamiliar route to goal for his second and Albion’s fourth.
Diangana fed his colleague with a neat pass out left. Everybody waited for the lethal right foot but the Celtic man drove into the box and on the outside, his left, to dispatch a low finish through Nicholls’ legs. It was very much game over.
Corberan was afforded the luxury of re-introducing Thomas-Asante for a return and resting Bartley, who was immense. Furlong was even withdrawn as he avoided a 10th yellow card of the season, which would’ve meant a two-game ban. Huddersfield, game 37, was the cut-off.
The Terriers kept pressing. Palmer’s stunning double save denied Rudoni and sub Danny Ward and more defending was required but travelling Baggies rightly saw out the West Yorkshire afternoon with “oles” as their side pulled Huddersfield this way and that on a day to remember.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong (Pieters, 80), Bartley (Ajayi, 75), Kipre, Reach; Yokuslu, Mowatt; Wallace (Swift, 75), Diangana, Johnston (Thomas-Asante, 75); Weimann (Fellows, 56).
Subs not used: Griffiths, Pipa, Chalobah, M’Vila.
Huddersfield (3-5-2): Nicholls; Pearson, Helik (Balker, 76), Lees; Spencer, Hogg (c) (Matos, 76), Rudoni, Kasumu (Ward, 65), Headley (Koroma, 65); Thomas, Burgzorg.
Subs not used: Maxwell, Diarra, Wiles, Jackson, Iorpenda.
Attendance: 19,383 (1,346 Albion fans)
Referee: David Webb
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