Albion - the verdict

Colchester 3 Albion 2

Albion's away day Achilles heel returned to haunt them as they slipped to defeat at Colchester this afternoon.

For the second successive away game the Baggies went down 3-2 after coming from behind to level.

A second half penalty from Mark Yeates ultimately did the damage and left the Baggies desperately needing a Hawthorns pick-me-up later in the week.

The decisive penalty underlined everything that was bad about the Baggies as time and again their defence was crudely exposed by the simplicity of Clive Platt's flick-on's and the pace of Kevin Lisbie.

Yeates tied Martin Albrechtsen up in knots to win the spot kick, and all too familiar sight on a sunny afternoon in Essex.

Albion had even made the perfect start when Kevin Phillips, back in the side after injury, fired them into a sixth minute lead.

But Yeates instantly cancelled that out with a terrific free kick, before Lisbie fired the Us in front after outpacing and outboxing the exposed Albrechtsen.

Albion were back level when Ishmael Miller headed home James Morrison's cross before the break.

But for all their second half possession they struggled to extend Aidan Davison and were undone by that penalty midway through the second half.

Boss Tony Mowbray threw on Zoltan Gera, Chris Brunt and Bart Slusarski for his first taste of Championship football but Colchester held on.

It meant Albion lost further important ground in the early jostling for positions in the Championship.

Baggies fans have your say on the result below