West Brom 0 Coventry 2: Under-fire boss winless in eight as Baggies flirt with drop zone after another defeat
Eric Ramsay's future as Albion head coach plunged into further doubt as a 2-0 home defeat to leaders Coventry left him winless in eight and the Baggies closer to the Championship relegation zone.
The sorry Baggies limped to a hopeless 2-0 defeat against the leaders and looked destined for the second-tier drop zone as rivals Leicester led elsewhere under new boss Gary Rowett before succumbing to a late equaliser.
Fears Albion are destined for League One are growing by the week as Ramsay endured a fifth defeat in eight in all competitions. His side's mini-response of consecutive 0-0 league draws unravelled against the leaders at The Hawthorns.
Coventry needed just the opening half hour for their two-goal victory with Ephron Mason-Clark's fifth-minute opener and Jack Rudoni's fine second. Both, though, came with embarrassing Albion defending, which in-part saw to right-back Alfie Gilchrist hooked before the interval.
All of the spotlight and scrutiny is on beleaguered Ramsay, though, as storm clouds gather over the head coach appointed a little over a month ago.
Those home fans still inside The Hawthorns unloaded boos at full-time but the jeers, chants and taunts during the easy Sky Blues victory were deafening.
Not only has Ramsay, appointed from Minnesota United last month, been unable to spark a reaction in succeeding Ryan Mason, things have continued to worsen and the hosts could not come back from a helpless first half.
It was not the ideal start of what was billed as a make-or-break week with relegation rivals to come. Whether Ramsay remains at the helm for Tuesday's visit of relegation rivals Charlton remains a big decision for chairman Shilen Patel as fans call for more change in the dugout.
The Baggies are now winless in nine league games and 11 in all competitions not including extra time and penalties and have not scored in four league games under Ramsay. Albion look totally blunt and took 80 minutes for a first meaningful shot on target.
It was away end delight as Frank Lampard and the travelling fans gathered to celebrate at the end. Albion endured more relegation taunts.
Albion appeared to settle well in the opening minutes as they kept the ball and looked a threat through the purposeful Jed Wallace down the right.
But after recent back-to-back goalless draws, the all-too familiar feeling of an opening goal against took just five minutes.
It was a simple Coventry goal that once again highlighted painful defensive deficiencies in Albion's backline, notably at right-back.
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba was robbed of the ball and right-back Milan van Ewijk lofted a straight-forward long ball over the middle of the hosts' defence, where the winger Mason-Clark had darted away from Gilchrist.
The full-back had tried to step out for offside and could not recover as Mason-Clark cushioned a lofted finish over the stranded Max O'Leary, on the penalty spot and just about over the line. A recovering Gilchrist could not clear on the line, despite the ball bouncing in slow motion.
Albion tried to recover and had more of the ball as the home fans stayed with their troops.
But the livewire Mason-Clark went looking for a second and fired over from range after twisting Gilchrist again.
The hosts tried to settle with no lack of effort but a painful nervousness on the ball doing for almost all quality in their ranks. Misplaced passes out of play were a regularity and each put another pin in any hope or optimism.
Ramsay's side had shown next-to-nothing in the final third and things went from bad to worse on half hour.
Rudoni received the ball just inside the home half and was allowed to dart unopposed towards the Albion box with no pressure from an Albion shirt.
By the time Gilchrist got across to even attempt a block the attacker smashed a stunning left-footed strike into the top left corner.
Jeers against Ramsay and boos rained down from the home stands.
Gilchrist's nightmare ended after 39 minutes as he was replaced on the right by the returning Campbell.
The hosts, out well before their visitors after the break, had to show something and threatened in inside seconds of the restart as Alex Mowatt had a deflected strike from range dribble wide.
But Coventry appeared to be coasting in third gear. They could have had a third but Milan van Ewijk fired over from range. Charlie Taylor, who continued at centre-back, poked well off-target from a corner.
Ramsay rolled the dice on the hour with the introduction of Mikey Johnston, Josh Maja and Daryl Dike in the desperate hunt for a rally.
Left-back Callum Styles was among many to struggle and he had Albion's best chance by midway through the second half but, in space, a strike was well blocked.
Despite an insipid display the hosts were not totally out of the contest at 2-0 and Isaac Price shot tamely at Rushworth when found by Dike's cross at the far post with 10 minutes left. The home fans, somehow high on spirits, chanted "we've had a shot".
More jeers against Ramsay would soon follow and there was to be no late respite. Indeed Lampard's men should have had a third through Ellis Simms and Victor Torp but sorry Albion were all-too easily seen off again.
Albion (4-2-3-1): O'Leary; Gilchrist (Campbell, 39), Bielik, Taylor, Styles; Mowatt (Bostock, 85), Molumby; Wallace (c) (Maja, 61), Price, Jimoh-Aloba (Johnston, 61); Heggebo (Dike, 61).
Subs not used: O'Leary, Imray, Phillips, Diakite.
Coventry City (4-2-3-1): Rushworth; van Ewijk, Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Dasilva; Onyeka, Grimes (c); Sakamoto (Esse, 78), Rudoni (Eccles, 72), Mason-Clark (Thomas-Asante, 78); Wright (Simms, 72)
Subs not used: Wilson, Kitching, Bidwell, Woolfenden, Torp.
Referee: James Linington
