Express & Star

Bristol City 0 West Brom 3 - Report and pictures

A brace from Hal Robson-Kanu along with a Callum Robinson goal saw Albion outclass Bristol City to win 3-0 at Ashton Gate.

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Callum Robinson scores (AMA)

In a match Slaven Bilic's side controlled from the off, Robinson opened the scoring just past the half-hour mark with Robson-Kanu doubling their lead before the break.

After the interval, the game looked set to peter out with City barely registering an attempt on the Albion goal.

But the game then descended into chaos following an altercation between former Walsall team mates Romaine Sawyers and Jamie Paterson.

Sawyers reacted with real anger and seemingly shoved Paterson - with referee Darren England issuing him with a red card.

But that only made the midfielder even angrier with the 28-year-old appearing to shove a steward as he made his way down the tunnel.

The drama, though, was not over with Robson-Kanu then putting the game to bed just two minutes later.

After Ashley Williams under-hit a backpass, the striker latched onto the ball before brilliantly firing past Daniel Bentley with the outside of his foot.

And that goal ensured Bilic's side got the points they deserved with the Baggies having dominated the ball whilst also preventing City from having any real attacking threat.

REPORT

Albion entered the game on the back of three excellent performances against Millwall, Reading and Nottingham Forest.

But Bilic still opted to make a change when naming his starting line-up with Kyle Bartley replaced by Ahmed Hegazi at the heart of the defence.

The former Leeds centre-back seemingly lost his place following a couple of high-profile errors that saw him concede a penalty against Reading and then score an own-goal against Forest.

Otherwise, the Baggies were unchanged with Bilic sticking with a 4-3-3 system that saw Callum Robinson start on the left, Matheus Pereira on the right and Hal Robson-Kanu up front.

Bristol City, under the guidance of Lee Johnson, lined up in a 4-4-2 formation.

Niclas Eliasson and Callum O'Dowda operated on the wings with Famara Diedhiou and Nakhi Wells the front two.

In what proved to be an even start to the match, both teams spent the opening 20 minutes or so sussing each other out with the ball spending a lot of time in midfield.

Gradually, though, the Baggies started to build some pressure with Bilic's side winning a number of free-kicks and forcing a succession of corners.

But it was from another set-piece that they almost took the lead with Jake Livermore's quick throw allowing Romaine Sawyers to enter the box.

He then stood up a cross which Pereira volleyed towards goal only to see his effort well blocked by a defender.

From that point, Bilic's side went on to dominate the half with Livermore, in particular, outstanding.

The skipper effectively set up Albion's opener when he won the ball from a defender around 30 yards from goal before finding Robson-Kanu.

He then played Robinson through on goal - with the Sheffield United loanee initially seeing a low shot saved before the ball cannoned against him and rolled into the net.

Popping up all over the park, Livermore then twice went close himself with the midfielder seeing one effort from 20-yards sail just wide while another was beaten away by Daniel Bentley.

But in the 36th minute, Albion did grab a second with Livermore again at the heart of it.

This time the 30-year-old hit a low effort from the edge of the box which looked to be routine for Bentley.

But the keeper spilt the strike with Robson-Kanu on hand to tap in from close range.

City created their first decent chance just before the break with Wells whipping in a wonderfully inviting cross that O'Dowda was inches away from connecting with.

But as the teams made their way off at the break, Albion's overall performance meant they thoroughly deserved their lead - with the Baggies having had nine attempts on goal to City's one.

Bilic's side continued to dominate following the re-start with the visitors playing some breathtaking one-touch football at times.

Johnson knew his side was in desperate need of a jolt.

So he made a double change on the hour mark with Andreas Wiemann and Jamie Paterson replacing O'Dowda and Eliasson on the wings.

Seconds later, though, the Baggies should have wrapped the game up when Robson-Kanu produced a lovely bit of skill to escape his marker before charging into the box.

But, on the angle, the striker than lashed a powerful effort wide when he really should have hit the target.

The Baggies then threatened again when Robson-Kanu and Robinson played a neat one-two which ended with the Sheffield United loanee seeing a shot in the box beaten away by Bentley.

City had offered next to nothing going forward.

But they should have pulled a goal back just past the 70-minute mark when Jay Dasilva sent a cross right into the danger area.

That was met by Paterson who then side-footed the ball wide when he had to score.

Overall, the second-half had been largely uneventful.

But if then descended into chaos when former Walsall team mates Paterson and Sawyers clashed in the middle the park.

The exchange got more and more angry with the Albion midfielder then throwing his arm towards the former Forest winger.

After a long pause and a chat with his linesman, referee Darren England decided to send Sawyers with the midfielder - and Albion's bench - reacting furiously to the decision.

Incredibly, though, just two minutes later, Bilic's side wrapped up the points once and for all when Robson-Kanu latched on to a weak header from Ashley Williams.

Bentley was somewhat out of position.

Nevertheless, Robson-Kanu still had a lot to do and curled home an unstoppable strike with the outside of his left boot.

And from that point, Bilic's side saw out the game relatively comfortably with City - just like Forest a week earlier - managing just one shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes.

Bristol City: Bentley, Hunt, Williams, Dasilva, Nagy (Palmer 73), Henriksen, O'Dowda (Weimann 61), Eliasson (Paterson 61), Benkovic, Diedhiou, Wells.

Subs not used: Wollacott, Baker, Kalas, Rowe.

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, O'Shea, Hagazi, Ajayi, Townsend, Sawyers, Livermore, Krovinovic (Harper 79), Pereira (Phillips 85), Robinson (Grosicki 73), Robson-Kanu.

Subs not used: Bond, Furlong, Bartley, Austin.

Referee: Darren England.