Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between West Brom and Reading at The Hawthorns as Callum Robinson's first club goal since August earned the Covid-hit Baggies a 1-0 victory on Saturday
Saturday 11 December 2021 19:18, UK
Callum Robinson's first club goal for over three months helped a Covid-19-hit West Brom to a hugely deserved 1-0 win against struggling Reading at The Hawthorns.
Robinson, whose last Baggies goal was on August 18, netted just past the hour after the home side missed a hatful of chances - with the former Preston forward the most guilty party.
A second successive victory lifted Valerien Ismael's side to within three points of second-placed Bournemouth and extended the only unbeaten home record in the Sky Bet Championship to 11 matches.
And it was most welcome as West Brom were missing three defenders - Matt Clarke, Semi Ajayi and Conor Townsend - due to coronavirus and midfielder Grady Diangana through an unrelated illness.
Robinson was guilty of missing three early opportunities. First his low shot on the turn was comfortable for goalkeeper Luke Southwood, then he dragged a drive wide from 20 yards.
But it was Albion midfielder Alex Mowatt who forced the first serious save when his firm drive was tipped around the post by Southwood.
Robinson glanced wide after Liam Moore missed Adam Reach's cross, Karlan Grant blazed over and then Jayson Molumby sent a 30-yard drive straight at Southwood as Albion continued to push for the opener.
Grant went closest to scoring after Moore struggled to deal with a high ball, but the forward's shot was clawed away by Southwood.
It was all one-way traffic and Robinson sent a looping header over from a cross by Reach.
Reading striker Andy Carroll was an unlikely defensive hero for his side, twice heading off the line.
The former Newcastle striker got his head to Mowatt's inswinging corner that looked like it might have crept under the bar, recovering to thwart Robinson's bouncing follow-up with a diving header.
Reading's only chance of the first half came just before the interval when Tom Dele-Bashiru raced on to Alen Halilovic's pass only to lash the ball out for a throw-in on the far side.
It was a similar story after the break initially as Albion continued to waste chances.
Robinson's angled shot flew across goal and wide after Molumby freed him to cut in from the left.
Taylor Gardner-Hickman cut inside only to blaze hopelessly high and wide, then Grant glanced over from Robinson's cross.
The deadlock was finally broken by Albion in the 61st minute as Robinson met Grant's cross with a deft flick that went in off the underside of the bar.
Albion continued to press for more goals. A sliced clearance from Moore was inches away from being an own goal before Robinson headed just wide and Mowatt fired straight at Southwood.
The Reading goalkeeper then denied Robinson with a full-stretch save from a curling shot.
West Brom's Valerien Ismael: "We tried to postpone the game but the EFL forced us to play. It wasn't only positive cases - some had symptoms as well. We explained to the EFL and the doctor from the EFL said it was an outbreak but they forced us to play. I'm more than proud and I congratulate the guys. You can't imagine what a very difficult week this has been. Every day a player came in with symptoms and tested negative then tested positive.
"There were staff members as well and other people who work at the club. It was a very difficult week to manage and after the press conference on Friday, we had another two positive cases. We didn't want to complain or look for excuses. We accepted the challenge and we got our reward.
"After a difficult week it could be a massive push for us When you consider the circumstances, it was a great win, that's for sure, but even more for the players to create that mentality."
Reading's Veljko Paunovic: "It was not a great first half, but we did have a great chance to take the lead. I didn't like that we had so little possession, but we have to be much more clinical and ruthless. In the second half we looked better, but we still left them too much space to come in and easily execute the goal. Overall, it wasn't a bad performance but it was definitely not the result we were looking for.
"We missed important players and we had a lack of power. There were some good individual performances but we need to put all the pieces together. I think the mentality I see here is always negative. I'm talking about the environment. But we have no time or room for negativity. We are where we are and we know why we are where we are. We also know what we have to do, so there is no room for negativity."
