West Brom came from behind to stun Blackpool 3-1 and move to the top of the Championship table.
Striker gets two as West Brom come from behind at Bloomfield
West Brom came from behind to stun Blackpool 3-1 and move to the top of the Championship table.
Fresh from losing to Portsmouth in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday, The Baggies looked set for more disappointment when Ben Gurgess put Blackpool in front after 35 minutes at Bloomfield Road.
However, Kevin Phillips came off the bench to score twice in the final ten minutes and Ishmael Miller also found the target to take Tony Mowbray's side above both Bristol City and Stoke.
Burgess glanced the ball into the bottom corner from Stephen Crainey's right-wing free-kick after he had been fouled by Paul Robinson 10 minutes before the break.
Phillips equalised from the penalty spot with nine minutes remaining after Crainey had fouled Carl Hoefkens. It was Albion's 100th goal in all competitions this season.
Three minutes later, Phillips was on hand to tap the ball home from close range after Paul Rachubka had parried Miller's effort.
Miller made sure of the points in the 87th minute when he lobbed the ball over Rachubka from 12 yards out.
Blackpool boss Simon Grayson named the same side that started the goalless draw at Crystal Palace 10 days ago.
Changes
Mowbray made four changes as West Brom returned to league action following their FA Cup exploits.
Pedro Pele and Chris Brunt replaced James Morrison and Zoltan Gera in midfield, while Miller and Luke Moore were given the nod ahead of top scorer Kevin Phillips and Roman Bednar in attack.
Moore was involved for the first time in four matches. The on-loan Aston Villa striker completed a three-game suspension following his red card against Leicester but was ineligible to face Portsmouth at Wembley as he was cup-tied.
Blackpool went close in the 12th minute when Michael Flynn's header struck the crossbar.
The Blackpool midfielder crashed his effort against the woodwork from six yards out following another Crainey free-kick, this time on the left-hand side.
West Brom did not provide much of an attacking threat in the first half. A header from Moore that sailed wide was the closest that Albion came to troubling home goalkeeper Rachubka.
Wild
Brunt and Robert Koren shot wildly over the crossbar from 30 yards out.
Martin Albrechtsen was forced off with an injury in the 28th minute and was replaced by Leon Barnett.
Only a fine save from Dean Kiely to tip Stephen McPhee's shot over the crossbar prevented Blackpool from immediately extending their lead.
Kiely did well to parry Kaspars Gorkss' header from the resulting corner and keep the Baggies in the game.
Mowbray made his second change at half-time as Morrison was introduced at the expense of Pele.
But it was Blackpool who came out of the blocks quickest after the break with Gary Taylor-Fletcher flashing a shot wide and McPhee testing Kiely inside the opening five minutes of the second half.
The hosts spurned another chance to double their lead on the hour mark when Ian Evatt rose unchallenged at the far post and put his header wide.
Barnett should have equalised with Albion's next attack but the defender somehow put his header wide from six yards out.
Mowbray made his final change in the 66th minute as Phillips came on for Brunt and it proved to be an inspired move by the Baggies boss.
