West Brom 2 – 0 Bristol City

Mikey Johnston’s 10-minute brace gave West Brom a 2-0 home win over Bristol City in Sunday’s Sky Bet Championship game at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies’ summer deadline day arrival from Celtic scored his first goal of the season after 34 minutes following a quiet opening to proceedings.

The winger then followed that effort up with a classy finish midway through the second half as West Brom finished victorious in their final home game of 2024.

Bristol City, who have not won at this venue since 1993, go into the Christmas period without having won any of their previous four games.

John Swift tried to catch Max O’Leary off guard when West Brom took a quick free-kick, but the Robins keeper managed to unconventionally push the goal kick.

Centre-half Kyle Bartley headed over the bar moments later but the game, played in typical wintry conditions of howling wind and rain, got off to a slow start until the hosts’ moment of magic.

Tom Fellows, only behind Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz in the Championship assist tables before this game, created an eighth goal of the campaign when he planted a cross on the edge of the six-yard box. Despite his diminutive frame, Johnston headed home his first goal of the season.

Things got even better for the Republic of Ireland international minutes later when West Brom trio Swift, Josh Maja and Alex Mowatt combined in midfield to create another opening for Johnston, who took the ball to the left, cut inside and fired. a sharp strike beyond O’Leary.

The visitors almost hit back before the break when Anis Mehmeti’s cross at the back post found the head of Luke McNally, but Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer equalized his modest effort and struck the ball over the bar .

However, Fally Mayulu gave Palmer something more to think about after the interval when he directed a firm drive towards goal that required a tackle.

If City had hoped to build a head of steam to force themselves back into the game, the impetus they were looking for did not come.

Indeed, it looked more likely that West Brom would add to their tally, first through Maja and then Fellows. Substitute Uros Racic also stung O’Leary’s palms from the edge of the penalty area.

In the closing stages Devante Cole, West Brom’s summer signing who was making just his seventh substitute appearance in this game, was fed by Grady Diangana but could only poke the ball past the far post to stretch

Fortunately for him and West Brom, the job was done.

The managers

West Brom’s Carlos Corberan:

“Bristol City and us will be the teams that suffer in this period.

“Teams like Derby will play four games in a row, we will play five. They have a week until the Thursday game, whereas we only played on Sunday.

“It’s a physical disadvantage. It’s crazy. Playing against a team at this time of the season that has had two more recovery days is unfair.

“We can’t say we’re not going to look for results, it’s my responsibility but it’s too much.

“Five games in a row. We shouldn’t have played today, knowing the games to come. We should have played on Saturday, like the other teams in the Championship.

“We’ve only got three days in between and it’s going to be tough from a physical point of view. It is what it is.”

Bristol City’s Liam Manning:

“The better team definitely won, they were better than us. We were a bit passive at times, stuck between pressing and blocking.

“That’s the problem when you get disconnected. The space came from counter-attacks. When they turned it over, they went very quickly from their box to our box. We have to be better and I look at myself first and foremost.

“They’re so well organized defensively, it’s a tough spot to get to. We didn’t get into good areas enough. They ended up getting us caught.

“We’ve got to respond on Boxing Day now. We’ve got to win more games, it’s as simple as that. Ultimately, we’re in a results business.

“We have to start winning games, you don’t want to drift and go too far without. If you want to go forward you have to get consecutive results and we haven’t done that enough.”