West Brom left it late again with Graham Dorrans and Ishmael Miller goals sealing a 2-0 win at Swansea.
Dorrans and Miller win it for West Brom
West Brom left it late again with Graham Dorrans and Ishmael Miller goals sealing a 2-0 win at Swansea.
The Baggies scored late on against Blackpool at the weekend and are now within a point of Newcastle courtesy of Graham Dorrans' penalty against the Swans.
Dorrans converted from the spot with 11 minutes remaining after Giles Barnes was felled at the Liberty Stadium.
The match was settled in added time when Miller found the back of the net, a goal that ensures they maintain the pressure on the Magpies.
Swansea boss Paulo Sousa made four changes to his starting line-up and it was one of the new faces, captain Garry Monk, who spurned the first chance when he glanced a header wide from a free-kick.
Nathan Dyer, another to return to the fray, then curled an effort just wide from the edge of the area as Swansea pressed.
Mark Gower rattled a drive away from goal for the Swans as they continued to probe, but despite both sides impressing in possession, the fact that they were both playing with five midfielders made genuine chances hard to come by.
That was a point further illustrated just before the break when Angel Rangel barely worked Scott Carson, his strike just the fifth of the opening half.
Painful
Baggies striker Luke Moore registered his side's first shot minutes into the second half and forced a smart, low save from Dorus de Vries, but the lack of opportunities being created by either side was almost painful to witness.
Swansea's Alan Tate attempted to liven things up with a speculative strike from 25 yards that did little to worry Carson, while the former England stopper was also on hand to field Dyer's hit.
West Brom began to gradually wake up, though, and Gabriel Tamas flicked a header wide as a statement of their intent.
It served as notice for their goal, too, with Dorrans slamming home from the spot.
The home side questioned referee Roger East's decision to award the kick after Rangel and Barnes came together in the box, but it mattered little to Dorrans as he tucked away his 15th goal of the season.
Rather than reignite Swansea's interest in the game, the goal initially served to fire West Brom, for whom Barnes went close from outside the box, before Miller coolly finished with a minute to go after being played in by the impressive Dorrans.
