Carabao Cup: West Brom 0 Crystal Palace 3 - Report and pictures

Andros Townsend scored two goals of quality at either end of the game, beating Boaz Myhill with a dipping strike after just seven minutes before waltzing through the Baggies' jittery backline with eight minutes to go.

His goals sandwiched Patrick Van Aanholt's strike, and even though Crystal Palace didn't get their second until the 75th minute, it was a fair scoreline that reflected the visitors' dominance.

Although there were promising performances from Wes Hoolahan and James Morrison, who was returning from injury, Palace's second string fully deserved the victory.

Albion, on the other hand, were toothless in attack, and made mistakes too regularly at the back.

Darren Moore made 10 changes from the team that beat Millwall on Saturday, with just Ahmed Hegazi keeping his place, although he opted for experience rather than youth in attack.

Roy Hodgson also picked a second string side, making eight changes in total, but it took less than two minutes for the home fans to show some appreciation to their former boss.

The first opening of the game fell fortuitously to Hal Robson-Kanu when Martin Kelly slipped at the worst possible moment, but the Albion striker couldn't get the ball under control and the chance went begging.

The Baggies were made to rue that missed chance almost immediately when Townsend gave the visitors the lead seven minutes in.

Found in space on the right hand side by Alexander Sorloth, Townsend cut in off the flank and blasted a looping shot over Boaz Myhill and into the far corner from 25 yards out.

It was Townsend's first goal of the season, and it was a spectacular strike, although he was given too much time on the ball and Myhill was standing too far off his line.

The hosts were giving Palace far too many gaps to exploit, and shortly after the 15-minute mark, Hodgson's men should have made it two when Townsend's cross found Jeffrey Schlupp in acres of space in the box.

Somehow the unmarked Palace man missed the ball completely under no pressure, allowing Myhill to kick it away, before the keeper held Van Aanholt's follow-up shot on the rebound.

The Baggies looked all at sea at the back, and shortly after Aaron Wan-Bissaka replaced the injured Jairo Riedewald, the hosts were caught out by a simple ball over the top.

Schlupp beat Myhill to it and touched it around the Albion keeper, but Ahmed Hegazi - who cleared up plenty of his team-mates' errors in the first half - was on hand to mop up the danger.

Sorloth headed the resulting corner into Myhill's palms as the one-way traffic continued.

It wasn't until midway through the half that Albion threatened the Palace goal after they worked the ball out to Conor Townsend on the left, but his first time cross was touched beyond the lurking Wes Hoolahan by Kelly.

The diminutive Irishman was having an impressive game, keeping the ball well in tight places, but Palace were carving out most of the chances.

Myhill saved another header from Sorloth before Schlupp robbed Adarabioyo of possession in a dangerous area and flashed a shot wide.

Albion didn't wake up until five minutes before half-time, when Morrison nearly slipped Hoolahan in before Tyrone Mears's cross found Townsend at the back post but it was a difficult chance and the wing-back headed over.

Morrison and Hoolahan were enjoying each other's company, and the former finally forced Vicente Guaita into a save when he struck the latter's pass first-time towards the top corner.

There was still time for Hegazi to head Townsend's chip off the line before the break, but the second half started in much the same vein.

Hegazi was booked for bringing down Sorloth before the striker set up a chance for Schlupp with a cheeky nutmeg on the Egyptian in the box - but Myhill did well to palm over the winger's effort.

Albion were giving away possession with regularity by now, and both Van Aanholt and Max Meyer had shots blocked after the hosts had played themselves into trouble unnecessarily.

Moore reacted with a triple substitution shortly after the hour mark, sending on Kyle Edwards, Chris Brunt and Kyle Howkins.

That seemed to briefly rejuvenate Albion, who mustered up their second effort on target when Howkins headed Field's cross goalwards but it was easy pickings for Guaita.

However, Van Aanholt ended the tie 15 minutes before the end after capitalising on a stumble from Edwards.

The left back gobbled up possession on the edge of the box before rifling a shot inside Myhill's near post with his weaker right foot.

Edwards nearly atoned for his error immediately, but his shot from the edge of the box was straight down Guaita's throat.

And five minutes later Townsend put a sheen on the scoreline with his second and Palace's third.

After dancing past Field in the box with ease, he fired a shot in off the far post with his right foot.

That ended the game as a contest, although there was still time for Myhill to save smartly from Jordan Ayew in injury time.

Key moments

07 GOAL PALACE - Townsend cuts in off the right and blasts in a looping shot over Myhill.

75 GOAL PALACE - Van Aanholt rifles a shot inside Myhill's near post.

82 GOAL PALACE - Townsend dances past Field before firing the ball in off the far post.

Man of the match

Andros Townsend - Scored two goals and was by far the most creative player on the pitch.

Teams

Albion (3-4-2-1): Myhill; Adarabioyo, Hegazi (Howkins 62), Field; Mears (Edwards 62), Barry (c) (Brunt 62), Harper, Townsend; Morrison, Hoolahan; Robson-Kanu.

Unused subs: Bond, Leko, Gayle, Burke.

Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Kelly, Riedewald (Wan-Bissaka 21), Van Aanholt (Souare 79); Kouyate, Meyer, Puncheon (c); Townsend (Ayew 85), Sorloth, Schupp.

Unused subs: Speroni, Woods, Williams, Kaikai.

Referee: Peter Bankes

Attendance: 10,818 (871 away)