FT: West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Bristol City
Mikey Johnston header gave West Brom lead
Johnston adds his second with a curling shot before half-time
Baggies move up to seventh, outside play-offs on goal difference
Bristol City drop to 12th below Swansea
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HT: West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Bristol City
Tony Brown
West Brom's all-time record scorer on BBC Radio WM
It's been a strong first half for Albion, I think they need to go and try and get a third in the second half.
West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Bristol City
Image source, PA MediaThat's not a half for the ages but the Baggies are in total control thanks to Mikey Johnston's first goals of the season with a free header from an excellent Tom Fellows cross and a super curling effort beyond Max O'Leary.
Luke McNally's had a header well blocked by Alex Palmer at the other end but it's been a game of few chances .
Difficult to see a way back for City and if they do go more attacking it could get messy.
Time to go and lean against a radiator to warm-up and reintroduce the feet to the rest of the body.
West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Bristol City
We are into two minutes of time added on.
West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Bristol City
Steve Hermon
West Brom commentator on BBC Radio WM
You wait for one goal, and now it's two!
He curls it beautifully into the back of the net. It's raining goals here at the Hawthorns!
Mikey Johnston (43 mins)
Double bubble for Mikey.
A second goal of the game, a second goal of the season for Mikey Johnston.
Albion spread the ball to the left and Johnston cuts into the box to bend a super effort beyond Max O'Leary.
That's a hammer blow just before the break for Bristol City.
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Bristol City
Tony Brown
West Brom's all-time record scorer on BBC Radio WM
Bristol City have responded well to the goal and they've had a bit more possession.
Albion are just sitting a little bit deep, but it's important they go into half-time with the lead.
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Bristol City
Image source, PA MediaLiam Manning's Bristol City haven't gone four games without a win since March but his thoughts must be turning to an important half-time talk where he'll need to raise his team.
It was a poor goal for them to concede - free header for Mikey Johnston.
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Bristol City
A good response from Bristol City as Alex Palmer saves a Luke McNally header at his near post from an excellent deep cross by Anis Mehmeti.
Palmer had to stay alert as he could have been fooled into thinking the cross was going out of play.
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Bristol City
Gary Owers
Former Sunderland & Bristol City midfielder on BBC Radio Bristol
That's very straightforward and far too easy.
The City defenders were too static on that occasion.
Mikey Johnston (34 mins)
Image source, Rex FeaturesWake up everyone!
Brilliant ball swung over by Tom Fellows and Mikey Johnston has a free header to net his first goal of the season.
That's got The Hawthorns rocking.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Ged Scott
BBC Sport at The Hawthorns
It started as a potentially very exciting weekend for serious stattos, with the four Championship draw specialists all playing each other.
QPR (10) up against PNE (11) in Saturday's appetiser, followed by Albion's 11 (10 of them in their last 13 games) up against Bristol City's 9.
You would imagine that there must have been a few 'draw-draw' double bets that went west when QPR won 2-1 in the last minute at Loftus Road yesterday.
But at least this one appears to be so far going by the book. Although City are so far shading it on bookings.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
West Bromwich Albion have had 63% possession but what have they done with it?
Let's just say not much and leave it at that.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Gary Owers
Former Sunderland & Bristol City midfielder on BBC Radio Bristol
That could easily be a penalty, I can't believe no one appealed for that. It looked even worse on the replay.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Just before that caution for Cameron Pring, Bristol City had shouts for a penalty as Scott Twine went down in the box.
The City man was caught but didn't really react to the challenge other than getting up and carrying on.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Here we go again - caution number three.
Bristol City's Cameron Pring wrestle Tom Fellows to the ground to prevent a break - yellow card every day of the week.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Another good break for Albion as Jayson Molumby escapes down the right but he can't pick out Josh Maja at the far post - maybe Molumby should have been shooting as he broke into the box.
Beginning to see why they've only scored eight goals at home...
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Another West Brom break foward but Josh Maja's ball forward to Mikey Johnston isn't good enough - but more worrying for the home side is Johnston pulling up with what looks like an ankle problem.
He's OK for now but one to keep an eye on.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Image source, REXJohn Swifts sends Mikey Johnston scampering away down the left but the home side are slow in getting up to support the break so they go back and when the ball does go into the box it bounces harmlessly through to Max O'Leary.
Fair to say this hasn't hit the high notes yet.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
Another caution - West Brom's Jayson Molumby slides right through his international colleague Jason Knight.
They might talk about that challenge when they next meet up on duty for the Republic of Ireland.
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Bristol City
From the ensuing free-kick the West Brom skipper Kyle Bartley climbs high but sends his header over the bar - he looks disappointed and maybe should have at least got it on target.
Mikey Johnston scored seven times on loan to Albion from Celtic in the spring but had not netted since completing his move to The Hawthorns on August transfer deadline day
Mikey Johnston found his missing goal touch as West Bromwich Albion beat Bristol City to win at home for only the fourth time this season.
The Glasgow-born Republic of Ireland international ended his personal drought with two strikes in nine first-half minutes - his first goals since April.
That leaves Carlos Corberan's Baggies seventh in the Championship at Christmas, level on 35 points with sixth-placed Middlesbrough, to make it a 'Feliz Navidad' for their Spanish boss - as The Hawthorns' stadium sound system reminded him at the final whistle.
But, for Bristol City, it is now four games without a win, to leave them 12th - eight points off the play-off pack.
After a terribly disappointing opening half-hour stalemate involving two teams who have drawn 20 games between them this season, the game suddenly erupted into life on 34 minutes with the first of Johnston's quickfire double.
Winger Tom Fellows got to the right byeline, curled over a lovely hanging right-foot cross and Johnston, only recalled after a hamstring injury to Karlan Grant, arrived unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box to head home.
It was his first goal in 25 Albion appearances since 6 April - yet his next one arrived only nine minutes later.
Having picked up the ball in space on the left, he cut inside, picked his way into the City penalty area and then curled a right-foot beauty inside the far-right upright - a welcome reminder of three of last season's quality strikes in a Baggies shirt.
Albion have had cause to celebrate only four home wins this season - but each time they have been back-to-back victories
The visitors almost responded before half-time when Anis Mehmeti's far-post cross found Luke McNally's head but Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer palmed it over the bar.
But, other than forcing an early second-half Palmer save from Fally Mayulu, City had little response in an increasingly dispiriting second-half for the visitors.
Johnston twice went close before his hopes of a hat-trick were ended by his withdrawal on 73 minutes to allow fit-again Grady Diangana a return to action.
Top scorer Josh Maja and substitute Uros Racic also tested Max O'Leary before fellow sub Devante Cole was fed by Diangana but could only poke the ball past the far post at full stretch - a miss that cost Albion a place in the top six.
Albion are now on the road for the next two games, with trips to Derby County on Boxing Day followed by Sheffield United next Sunday and then a home date with Preston North End on New Year's Day.
City face successive home games - against Luton Town on Boxing Day, then Portsmouth on the Sunday, before a New Year's Day all West Country lunchtime clash with Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.
West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Sport:
"We did not find the right fluidity in the first half.
"But we scored two good goals and won the game then.
"It was important for Mikey Johnston to score. It was good for him and the team. It will help him to keep growing as a player.
"When you know that you are scoring goals the previous year, you have a responsibility. You should be free to go again with this feeling."
Bristol City boss Liam Manning told BBC Sport:
"They were better than us in all areas. And we let in two soft goals.
"But all of us collectively have to be better. And I look at myself in that. Did I get it right?
"They're very well organised but we lacked energy and aggression and didn't have the quality to break them down.
"And we need to respond on Boxing Day. We can't afford to drift. We need wins."
Liam Manning speaks to BBC Radio Bristol following defeat by West Bromwich Albion
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 11 | 21 | 48 |
| |
| 2 | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 15 | 26 | 45 |
| |
| 3 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 44 |
| |
| 4 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 18 | 16 | 43 |
| |
| 5 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 37 |
| |
| 6 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 35 |
| |
| 7 | 22 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 10 | 35 |
| |
| 8 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 28 | 2 | 34 |
| |
| 9 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 30 | -2 | 32 |
| |
| 10 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 28 |
| |
| 11 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 27 |
| |
| 12 | 22 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 28 | -2 | 27 |
| |
| 13 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 34 | 3 | 26 |
| |
| 14 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 23 | 28 | -5 | 25 |
| |
| 15 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 38 | -13 | 25 |
| |
| 16 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 24 |
| |
| 17 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 28 | 34 | -6 | 24 |
| |
| 18 | 22 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 29 | -7 | 23 |
| |
| 19 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 23 | 30 | -7 | 22 |
| |
| 20 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 35 | -10 | 20 |
| |
| 21 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 31 | -10 | 19 |
| |
| 22 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 34 | -15 | 18 |
| |
| 23 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 37 | -16 | 18 |
| |
| 24 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 45 | -23 | 18 |
|
Manager: Carlos Corberán
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Liam Manning
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Carlos Corberán
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Liam Manning
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Championship
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
West Brom have lost just one of their last eight league games against Bristol City (W5 D2), with each of those five victories coming via a two-goal margin or more.
Bristol City have lost seven of their last nine away league games against West Brom (W1 D1), conceding an average of 2.7 goals per match across that time.
West Brom have scored just eight goals across their 10 home league games in the Championship so far this season – the fewest of any side in the competition.
Bristol City have failed to win any of their last three league games (D2 L1) and could go four without victory for the first time since March 2024 when they lost four matches in succession.
West Brom’s Tom Fellows has recorded seven assists in the Championship so far this season, with only Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz (8) managing more in the competition.
