Huddersfield Town 2-1 West Bromwich Albion: Leeds United promoted as Terriers move to brink of Championship safety
- Published
Chris Willock's second goal of the season put the Terriers in front
Leeds United celebrated promotion to the Premier League following a 16-year absence after nearest challengers West Bromwich Albion lost at Huddersfield Town.
West Brom needed a win to deny Marcelo Bielsa's side their top-flight place and stay in control of their own automatic promotion hopes.
But they were largely below-par against a spirited Terriers side who still needed points to ensure their Championship survival.
Huddersfield are now six points clear of the bottom three and only need a point to be absolutely certain of staying up.
Slaven Bilic's West Brom side will be leapfrogged in the top two if Brentford get at least a draw at Stoke on Saturday afternoon, and would then need to rely on other results when they welcome QPR to the Hawthorns on Wednesday.
Arsenal loanee Emile Smith-Rowe pounced for the crucial goal with five minutes remaining, slotting past Sam Johnstone to give the Terriers a vital three points.
Former Baggies loanee Callum Willock had given Town the lead early on when he thumped the ball in after a free-kick was insufficiently cleared.
But despite controlling much of the half West Brom responded just before the break when Dara O'Shea nodded home a wicked delivery after Jonas Lossl parried the ball into his path.
There was certainly more intent about West Brom in the second period, with Pereira's thunderous snapshot beaten away by Lossl, but Huddersfield also retained a threat particularly from set-pieces, as Juninho Bacuna's curling free-kick whizzed tantalisingly across the face of goal.
Bilic made attacking changes bringing on Callum Robinson, Kamil Grosicki and Charlie Austin in a bid to turn the game, but as they huffed and puffed they were caught on the break by Smith-Rowe's fine finish.
Danny Cowley was appointed Terriers boss in September
Baggies punished for slow start
While Leeds and Brentford have shown remarkable composure in the chase for promotion following the restart, West Brom have failed to deliver the same ruthlessness and have a nervy wait for the final day to confirm their fate.
The Baggies have paid the price for countless missed chances in frustrating draws against Blackburn and Fulham, and then tonight's defeat at the John Smith's Stadium.
Brentford were 13 points behind on 25 February when West Brom were top, and that gap has been slowly whittled away to just a point, with Leeds overhauling them.
All eight of the club's previous promotions to the top flight have been through the automatic route, with their only play-off final appearance at this level ending in defeat by Derby County in 2007.
Cowley's survival bid lifted by positive display
Danny Cowley's job of keeping Huddersfield in the Championship has been a remarkable one, given he took on the post last September with the club 23rd in the league and without a win in six games.
Defensively things have been tightened up, with four clean sheets in the past six games. A positive approach tonight - much as Barnsley delivered in making Leeds sweat on Thursday - paid off here with three points.
One defeat in the past six games, a surprise loss to Luton, has helped drag the Terriers clear and they lived up to their name this evening with midfield steel provided by Lewis O'Brien and the experienced duo of Jonathan Hogg and Andy King, who combined to shut down the Baggies attack of Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira.
With safety almost as good as assured, the next job will be to restore Huddersfield to a side challenging for promotion at the other end of the table next season, following last season's slide out of the Premier League.
Post-match reaction
Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley told BBC Radio Leeds:
"I though the players were immense tonight. It was a really committed, hard-working performance.
"We knew that we were playing against a very good West Brom team but we tried to put a game plan together that would allow us to win the game.
"We felt this game would get tired and we felt if we could frustrate West Brom they would have to open up, and so it proved.
"The players deserve all the credit this evening."