Coventry City 0-2 West Brom: Carlos Corberan’s Baggies seal derby win

West Bromwich Albion climbed back into the Championship top six as they scored a goal in each half to deservedly win a Midlands derby against lacklustre Coventry City.

Matt Phillips then brilliantly set up Brandon Thomas-Asante for a superb second goal as Albion went route one to finish off the hosts.

Coventry striker Haji Wright had earlier wasted a great chance to equalise when through on goal, but there was nothing else left in the tank from the Sky Blues as they slid to a third straight league defeat.

It leaves Mark Robins’ side still 20th, although only eight points behind fifth-placed Albion in a table that remains as tight as ever in this competitive division.

Albion made two changes from last Tuesday’s 2-0 home win over Queens Park Rangers, but defender Cedric Kipre was surprisingly named in the starting XI.

Boss Carlos Corberan had expected Kipre to be out “for months” after limping off late on against QPR, but scans gave him the all clear.

Injury-hit Albion’s alterations came further up the pitch, with Pipa coming in at right wing-back for Darnell Furlong and Alex Mowatt recalled in a tactical reshuffle that led to Thomas-Asante starting on the bench.

City boss Mark Robins, by way of contrast, made five changes from the 2-0 defeat at Rotherham, bringing back Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching in defence and restoring Jamie Allen, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Haji Wright further forward.

Although they had marginally the better of the first half, it did not quite click for the Sky Blues in front of goal.

Sakamoto had a powerful shot beaten away by Palmer before Coventry were out of luck with a penalty shout for handball.

Albion then stunned the hosts by taking the lead when Wilson spilled Nathaniel Chalobah’s shot – and Diangana was on hand to find the back of the net.

He now has goals in successive games, having not previously scored since February’s win against Coventry at The Hawthorns.

Despite a lot of possession in and around the Baggies box, City had nothing to show for it.

They did have one glorious chance on 51 minutes when USA striker Wright went clear, only to fire the wrong side of the post.

But the three points were sealed on 69 minutes when Phillips delivered a stunning ball down the left flank with the outside of his right foot to send Thomas-Asante clear, down the inside-left channel and Wilson was left rooted to the spot as he delivered a superb finish with his right instep.

Despite concerns among home fans that he might have been offside, Thomas-Asante appeared to time his run to perfection, the flag stayed down – and he ruthlessly buried his fifth goal of the season and, like Diangana, his second in successive games.

Who’s next?

Coventry now face a daunting trip to Preston on Saturday to play their bogey side, who they have not beaten in a run of 19 league meetings, stretching back to their last win over North End in September 2007.

Albion have a home game against seventh-placed Hull City, one of three sides around them all on 23 points.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

“There’s no other way out of it than sticking together and not lose belief. I’m experienced to know that sometimes this is what happens in football. And I’ve told the players not to get too down.

“The supporters were brilliant. We just have to get through this. If I start to panic about the results, then we will have a problem.

“We’ve given them the opportunity to score. That’s got to stop. But we created really good chances and we have to take more opportunities to shoot. That is down to the confidence of the players, but it will come.”

West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlo Corberan told BBC Radio WM:

“I am happy with the result. When I see the team competing like this, it is reward for the fans.

“The most injuries we have are attacking injuries. It was important that Kipre was not injured.

“The only message we have is to ourselves – to keep winning, keep improving in defence and attack and keep growing as a team.”