West Brom boss grateful for 'football gods' and work of inspired goalkeeper Josh Griffiths

Josh Maja scored Albion's 20th-minute winner on his return to starters orders but goalkeeper Griffiths was the visitors' hero in Norfolk after a string of saves, including two stunning stops from point-blank range late on.

It was the reverse from recent performances where Mason's men have enjoyed the lion's share of contests against Derby and Leicester but came away from those home games with just a single point.

Norwich, who were jeered off after a fifth defeat from five in all competitions at home, created far more than Mason's battling visitors - as Griffiths' role as star man attested.

"You could say the football gods are with us a little bit today," Mason told the Express & Star. "But I think you certainly earn that.

"We've had some really good performances this season and we haven't won and there's been no sense of feeling sorry for ourselves.

"Tonight, like I say, was a tough game. It's an away game in the Championship against a team that set up really well, they've got some really good individuals and they played a good game.

"So we certainly felt like we had to earn the victory tonight. Sometimes when you suffer for a game like we did, that can enhance certain things inside the changing room and hopefully the lads can feel that tonight."

Griffiths' two late saves in particular, from Jovon Makama and Ante Crnac, were top-drawer stops from point-blank range as Albion went fourth.

Scenes that will live long in the memory at full-time saw the academy graduate goalkeeper, 24, encouraged by colleagues in front of the away end by, who serenaded his performance.

"It's a big moment for Josh and that's football sometimes," Mason added. "You do need your keeper to pull off saves and have moments. He certainly had a few tonight, so hopefully he can grow from that.

"Hopefully that can give him some confidence and he can stand a little bit taller because we've got another game Saturday. We need to be ready, we need to approach it with the same mindset, in a difficult place to go."

The Albion head coach has been left irritated by the fixture scheduling that sees his troops head to the capital to face Millwall in less than 72 hours, at 3pm on Saturday. A similar Wednesday-Saturday away double-header comes later this month.

Mason confirmed there will be no time off for his squad, who will return to the Black Country in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The squad will be in for a recovery debrief on Thursday and a training session on Friday - though there will be little physical work - before travelling to the capital later that day.