West Brom 2 Ipswich 0 - Report

Darnell Furlong and Grady Diangana scored early goals in either half as Carlos Corberan's side made a mockery of the visitors, who started the day level on points at the Championship's summit.

A clean sheet for Albion and Alex Palmer - an eighth in 17 league games, the league's best - was the first time in 23 games this season Ipswich failed to score and a first defeat in 13 league games.

Corberan's men climbed two places to fifth with the victory and back inside the play-offs as they sent a convincing message to play-off promotion rivals. Prospective new owners watching on from wherever, and everyone of a Baggies persuasion, will be mightily enthused about an encouraging 2024 to come.

Ipswich, riding high on their Championship return, were overawed and outclassed. Kieran McKenna's fancied side were made to look very ordinary. The Tractor Boys barely had a sniff.

Corberan - with a returning John Swift and Josh Maja - will play it down but his well-drilled, resolute side look geared up to stay well among the contenders this term. Albion didn't deserve to lose at Southampton, but got exactly what they merited here. Jed Wallace, Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley were supreme.

The boss made just one alteration to the side that went down unfortunately at Southampton a fortnight ago as Alex Mowatt - exceptional from the bench in midfield that day - replaced the injured Nathaniel Chalobah, who was uninvolved.

There was a place on the bench for both Swift and Maja - back and available after both have spent a couple of months on the sidelines through injury.

There was an air of optimism before kick-off - aired by a loud blasting of The Liquidator - and the hosts flew out the traps to make home advantage count inside six minutes.

Brandon Thomas-Asante had just been inches from connecting to Wallace's stunning deflected as the hosts profited from the resulting corner.

Phillips' inswinging corner from the left was right on the money for the near-post run of right-back Furlong and his glancing header from in front of the post was inch-perfect and crept in across the goal at the far post.

It was a goal borne out of the club's training ground in Walsall as the players embraced afterwards.

Albion were rampant. Thomas-Asante was sharp and his rasping drive from distance was beaten away unconvincingly by the busy Vaclav Hladky.

It took the Tractor Boys the best part of 20 minutes to see the ball. They looked bright in possession and tried to find Wes Burns beyond Conor Townsend, but Albion stood tall. Burns shot high and wide as he spurned a half-chance for the visitors.

Down the other end, Thomas-Asante almost inadvertently netted from a catalogue of errors in the Ipswich defence.

The game entered a lull, certainly in terms of chances. Ipswich struggled to break down a resilient Baggies rearguard. Matt Phillips, who was excellent throughout, was unlucky to see a lashed half-volley cannon into an orange shirt.

If Albion started the first half well - then they came out from half-time like a bullet train.

A fine counter-attack led to the second that ironically started from an Ipswich corner after fine Bartley defending.

Townsend fed Wallace smartly and the winger took off. He burst over halfway and fed Thomas-Asante, whose weighted through ball for Diangana was perfect.

Diangana took his time and finished exquisitely, into the far corner and off the post before the ball spun over the line. Eruption at The Hawthorns.

That was breathing space but five minutes later it should've been game over. Wallace charged down the flank and his low cross from the byline fed Phillips at the back post. It wasn't quite Kanu against Middlesbrough but the winger somehow steered high and wide from five yards. He went with his wrong foot.

McKenna was first to ring the changes but not of his alterations helped. Corberan was able to turn to Swift for his return, Jeremy Sarmiento and Jayson Molumby too.

The game was won and Albion didn't force too much else in a procession finale - aside from a late Ipswich scramble and Dane Scarlett strike from distance - on an evening Corberan's men made a bit Championship statement about their promotion ambitions.

Teams

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Kipre, Townsend; Mowatt, Yokuslu (Molumby, 71); Wallace (c) (Ajayi, 90+2), Diangana (Swift, 71), Phillips (Sarmiento, 71); Thomas-Asante (Maja, 80).

Subs not used: Griffiths, Pieters, Pipa, Fellows.

Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Hladky; Williams, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis; Morsy (c), Taylor (Luongo, 61); Burns (Jackson, 75), Chaplin (Scarlett, 83), Broadhead (Harness, 61); Hirst (Ladapo, 75).

Subs not used: Walton, Clarke, Ball, Tuanzebe.

Attendance: 24,001 (1,989 Ipswich fans)

Referee: Gavin Ward