All good things must come to an end – but Albion would have welcomed falling from their away-day pedestal with a cushioned landing instead of a nasty thud.

There was an inevitability about the injury-ravaged Baggies running out of steam at some point in their marathon run of late-winter fixtures.

But Roberto Di Matteo would have hoped his side would coast to a dignified halt, but watched them career into a wall in an ugly second-half mess at Ashton Gate.

This morning the Hawthorns head coach set about putting his promotion-chasing machine back on course, hoping desperately some new parts will arrive ‘PDQ’.

If yesterday’s post half-time debacle sent out any clear message it was the need for reinforcements to Di Matteo’s creaking squad.

While there is no doubting the quality at the Italian’s disposal when the treatment room is empty, yesterday’s events suggested he is currently lacking sufficient players fit and in-form to handle the intensity of Championship and FA Cup commitments the club face right now.

The visit to the West Country was a game – or at least half a game – too far for the depleted Baggies.

Doubts remain that either of the most recent Hawthorns arrivals are capable of deputising for the suspended Jerome Thomas, who continues to look the most irreplaceable man in Di Matteo’s squad.

Neither starter Frank Nouble nor substitute Andy Slory did enough yesterday to ease the concerns. Nouble looks like a raw teenager finding his way in first-team football, which is precisely what he is, while Slory plays like a semi-fit Dutchman still getting to grips with the all-action demands of the Championship.

And the troubled Joe Mattock, filling in for the injured Marek Cech, is in a run of form that is making his Slovakian colleague look like Roberto Carlos.

It was Mattock’s struggle against lively Bristol City wide man Danny Haynes that was Albion’s main concern in a first-half they controlled for the most part at Ashton Gate.

The youngster’s Haynes headache was just one of the problems that afflicted the Baggies after the interval and eventually consumed them as their final reserves of strength seeped away.

There were hints in the first-half that the edge Albion held had as much to do with the hosts’ wastefulness as it did with their visitors’ efforts.

Those suspicions were proved after the interval as the Robins improved their conviction and composure, while the Baggies spluttered to a halt during a dismal 45 minutes.

The presence of an on-loan Wolves striker, Chris Iwelumo, on the opposite side of the scoresheet will have irked the 1,587-strong travelling contingent. But the sight of their own side apparently running on empty will have worried them more.

It had been Albion who made the early running and a long throw from Gianni Zuiverloon caused problems for the hosts, as it was flicked on by Jonas Olsson. It found Chris Brunt at the far post who could not wriggle free of two City defenders and his shot was deflected wide.

Youssouf Mulumbu then picked out a darting run of Graham Dorrans and his shot was straight at goalkeeper Dean Gerken, before a good run down the left by Robert Koren ended with a floating cross that went behind for a goal-kick.

There was a scare for the Baggies when Danny Haynes outpaced Mattock on the Albion left and cut into the box, only to fire into the side netting.

A moment later came an early moment of controversy when Roman Bednar muscled his way through the centre of the field and looked to the tripped on the edge of the box by Louis Carey. But referee Neil Swarbrick waved away the protests, to the disgust of the visitors’ bench.

Liam Fontaine dragged a shot wide after a slip by Dorrans and then Iwelumo headed weakly wide by Chris iwelumo at the far post, after Haynes again got the better of Mattock on the flank as the home side had the better of a scrappy spell.

But the Baggies regained the initiative midway through the half and almost led when Bednar fed Brunt on the left and darted to the near post to meet the cross, only to see his flick blocked well low down by goalkeeper Dean Gerken.

But the disappointment lasted only a few seconds, as Albion picked up the pieces to construct the opening goal. A through-ball from Zuiverloon found Dorrans, who exploited a gaping hole in the Robins’ defence and produced a clinical finish off the base of the far post.

The game once more then descended into a scrap but the Robins should have equalised seven minutes before the break. Marvin Elliott picked out Haynes with a clever ball from midfield and the forward took advantage of a mix-up between Jonas Olsson and Gabriel Tamas, only to fire a shot wastefully wide.

Affairs failed to improve at the start of the second period, but it was the hosts who displayed more purpose with the visitors inviting pressure with some sloppy ball retention.

Lee Johnson sounded a warning with two shots that were deflected wide, but the Baggies failed to listen and they fell behind through two goals in four minutes just before the hour mark.

First a right-wing corner was challenged for Bednar and Carey and it dropped for Iwelumo to poke home from close range. On 59 minutes the Baggies were shambolic in defence as they were carved open with ease.

Slory was guilty on two counts, squandering possession on halfway and failing to get back at Haynes. But the winger could not be blamed for the chaos at the far post, where City players were queuing up to turn home Haynes’ cross, with Johnson eventually taking responsibility with a cool finish.

Albion threatened on a few occasions to regain parity in the final half-hour, but they lacked the clinical edge required with Bednar especially guilty of lacking the quality finishing to match his hard work.

Three times the striker drifted into good positions on the corner of the box but three times presented Gerken with easy saves and, after doing well to drift wide and cross well for Slory, the Dutchman made a horrible contact with his far-post cross and had his blushes spared by a dubious offside flag.

So the Baggies’ record-setting unbeaten away run in a single season ended at 12 games.

While those statistics will be of little concern to Di Matteo, the numbers in his squad continue to be a worry.

By Steve Madeley