Hull 2 West Brom 0 - Report
Depleted Albion's top-six push took another blow away from home with a disheartening 2-0 defeat at bottom-half Hull City.
Carlos Corberan's side sunk to a fifth straight away defeat in all competitions, a fourth in the Championship, to leave them adrift of rivals chasing the play-off spots.
A trip to the MKM Stadium was billed as the first of four fixtures against struggling teams prior to the international break but Albion will need to improve markedly from a confidence-sapping showing here.
The visitors didn't struggle for chances created but were woeful in their finishing, with a loss of composure all over the park.
It was one-way traffic in Albion's favour when Benjamin Tetteh scored his first Tigers goal against the run of play after half hour.
A second, just before the hour, knocked all wind out of Albion sails as defender Sean McLoughlin headed in from a corner to highlight more set-piece issues on a night of more travel sickness.
Corberan is missing 10 players through injury or illness and had nothing but youngsters to turn to for changes as an attacking sense.
His side huffed and puffed and created chances against a poor Hull side but looked sorry for themselves at the end at the ever-fading prospect of a promotion push.
Corberan's squad options were limited with the loss of first-team regulars Grady Diangana and Brandon Thomas-Asante to injury in the last week.
Winger Diangana injured ligaments in his foot against Middlesbrough, while striker Thomas-Asante strained his hamstring in training. Also missing were Karlan Grant (quad) and Jake Livermore (illness).
The head coach introduced Leicester loanee Marc Albrighton for Diangana on the left of the attacking three behind Daryl Dike, goal hero last time out against Boro.
Added to Albion's bench was a sprinkling of youth, with under-21 attacking duo Rico Richards - who arrived late for a league bow - and Jovan Malcolm.
Malcolm scored his first senior Baggies goal in the FA Cup against Chesterfield in January. While Richards, at the club since aged seven, has only tasted a few minutes in the 6-0 EFL Cup hammering to Arsenal a couple of years ago.
Liam Rosenior - a target for the Baggies job when Corberan was appointed - made four changes to his side, who had gone winless in four.
Out went top scorer Oscar Estupinan, Crystal Palace loanee Malcolm Ebiowei and full-back pair Cyrus Christie and Jacob Greaves.
It was pretty even stuff early on in East Yorkshire, before the visitors began to assert their dominance.
The Baggies were particularly threatening out wide. Former Hull trainee Conor Townsend and Jed Wallace were dangerous sources of delivery.
Albion crosses and passes in the final third were just off the mark but Hull found themselves chasing shadows early on as Albion enjoyed more than 70 per cent of the ball inside 20 minutes.
Clear chances were at a premium, Darnell Furlong headed over and Karl Darlow saved well from an Albrighton deflection. Wallace sent a low strike straight at Darlow after a wonderful Townsend touch.
It was almost one-way traffic as Dike's header produced a decent save from the busy keeper.
The home fans responded with sarcastic chants of "we've got the ball" - but they had more to cheer just after half hour.
Albion had been loose in possession going forward but paid for it at the other end when Okay Yokuslu could only deflect an interception into Tetteh near the left corner of the six yard box.
The Ghanaian had not scored in 15 City outings but thrashed a first-time finish into the opposite top corner with his left foot - via Josh Griffiths' fingertips.
Corberan's men totally lost their way after the opener and were grateful for the half-time whistle after a desperate final 15 minutes lacking tempo or composure.
Albion needed a response and should have tucked away an equaliser 90 seconds into the restart.
Albrighton's fine through ball released Jayson Molumby into the right side of the box. The Irishman picked out a smart low cross to find the unmarked Dike, whose effort was too central and easy to stop for on-loan Newcastle keeper Darlow.
Any hopes of the visitors dragging themselves level were all-but extinguished 12 minutes into the second half.
A left-sided corner from Ozan Tufan was met by Irish centre-back McLoughlin, who beat Dara O'Shea at the near-post to convert an easy header for a sloppy second from an Albion perspective.
Albion were inches from halving the deficit but John Swift's free-kick from the edge of the D cannoned the inside of the left post.
Wallace, with his side's best chance, was denied by Darlow's left leg before the keeper saved from sub Adam Reach.
Chances dried up in the last 15 minutes as away fans trudged for the exits ahead of the long road home.
Teams
Hull City (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Coyle (c), Jones, McLoughlin, Elder; Slater, Docherty; Tufan (Greaves, 85), Simons, Longman (Allahyar, 75); Tetteh (Estupinan, 65).
Subs not used: Lo-Tutala, Figueiredo, Ebiowei, Traore.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Furlong (Chalobah, 58), O'Shea (c), Pieters (Richards, 80), Townsend (Reach, 65); Yokuslu, Molumby (Gardner-Hickman, 65); Wallace, Swift, Albrighton; Dike.
Subs not used: Button, Ajayi, Malcolm.
Attendance: 17,021
Referee: James Linington
