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Blackburn 1 West Brom 2

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Peter Odemwingie's late stunner claimed a vital win for West Brom as the Baggies downed sorry Blackburn.

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Peter Odemwingie's late stunner claimed a vital win for West Brom as the Baggies downed sorry Blackburn.

The striker's 89th minute curler won it for the visitors to push them six points clear of the Premier League drop zone and up to 13th.

James Morrison's brilliant volley fired West Brom into a second-half lead, before former Walsall defender Scott Dann equalised with 18 minutes remaining.

And the Baggies survived a late Rovers rally to heap pressure on Blackburn boss Steve Kean.

Paul Scharner replaced Jerome Thomas in the only change from the 2-1 defeat to Wigan, while Steven Reid shook of a knee injury to start at his former club.

West Brom opened well with Odemwingie shooting over, after fine work by Morrison.

The patient Baggies were content to keep possession, frustrating the cagey hosts who were short on confidence and ideas.

But, to their credit, Rovers were at least robust in the early exchanges as West Brom tried to pick their way through.

Shane Long flashed a header across goal after 15 minutes, as the Baggies made the running and goalkeeper Paul Robinson spilled Odemwingie's low skidder five minutes later.

Slowly though, Rovers began to spark following their subdued start with Yakubu unsettling the Baggies back-line.

But it was Mauro Formica who gave Albion the biggest scare on 27 minutes when he muscled his way to go clean through – only to be denied by Scharner's super tackle.

The Baggies remained unflustered though, until Scharner was booked for a foul on Formica and goalkeeper Ben Foster tipped Morten Gamst Pedersen's free kick over after 37 minutes.

West Brom's early territorial domination waned and Rovers began to find gaps but the door was firmly shut by the visitors.

Reid's fine tackle halted David Dunn – who needed treatment – before Yakubu blazed over as both teams lacked conviction.

Scharner's scuffed effort on 50 minutes after neat work from Youssouf Mulumbu and Morrison epitomised the Baggies' finishing – until his stunner broke the deadlock.

Chris Brunt's 52nd minute corner was only half cleared to the Scotland international, who unleashed a stunning volley from 20-yards which fizzed into the corner.

It breathed fresh life into the Baggies who relaxed and they began to impose themselves on the rattled Rovers.

Ex-Blues defender Dann almost lobbed Robinson from 50-yards under pressure from Shane Long, as the visitors began to dominate.

But they were made to pay for lax defending 18 minutes from time, when Christopher Samba nodded down Robinson's long clearance for Dann to bundle in from four yards.

It was harsh on West Brom but they remained the better side and Long almost stabbed in after Samba's mis-cued header.

A Morrison strike fizzed over as the visitors pressed and they got their rewards with another super strike from Odemwingie in the last minute.

There was little on for the hitman as he cut in from the right but Rovers sat off and he unleashed a wonderful curling effort from 18-yards to win it.