West Bromwich Albion vs Swansea City. Premier League.
The HawthornsAttendance21,467.
Wednesday 14 December 2016 23:37, UK
Salomon Rondon's hat-trick of headers sent West Brom seventh in the Premier League as a 3-1 defeat at The Hawthorns kept Swansea in the bottom three.
Rondon's forehead did the damage in the space of 13 second-half minutes to make it three home wins on the spin ahead of Manchester United's visit at the weekend.
Swansea were tidy enough with the game goalless but failed to lay a meaningful glove on their hosts until Wayne Routledge's late reply (78), and Bob Bradley will be concerned at the flimsiness of a defence which is shipping away goals at a rate of three a game under his management.
The American might look to the opposition dugout for an example of what can be built on the foundation of a firm rearguard, and in general Tony Pulis' side coped admirably with the loss of two mainstays - the suspended Craig Dawson and injured Jonny Evans.
Allan Nyom, in particular, caught the eye as he was switched to right-back and dealt doggedly with Jefferson Montero's fleet of foot, even finding time to kick-start the best move of the first half.
A 40-yard burst turned the tables on Montero and allowed Nacer Chadli - starting for the first time since October - to slot Rondon in goal. The Venezuelan was in one-on-one but lost the duel as Lukasz Fabianski's right leg kept him out.
That was as good as it got for either side during an opening 45 minutes punctuated by Pulis' audible exhortations - put politely - from the technical area. If a half-time rollicking followed it would scarcely have come as a surprise to his players.
Whatever the manager said at the break worked, and a nibble at Chadli's ankles gave Matt Phillips the chance to swing a free-kick to the six-yard line, where Rondon escaped Alfie Mawson's attention to head past Fabianski (50).
An identikit pair of goals followed as Chris Brunt, starting at left-back on his 32nd birthday, twice made the most of space out wide to tee up Rondon's second and third.
Chadli's sidle from the left almost produced a fourth before a slew of substitutions seemed to affect Albion's concentration, Routledge following up to score after Ben Foster blocked Borja Baston's shot.
Foster had been a spectator until then but marked his 150th Premier League appearance for the club with a fine stop that spared Gareth McAuley the added-time indignity of an own goal.
Player ratings
West Brom: Foster (7), Nyom (8), McAuley (7), Olsson (6), Brunt (7), Fletcher (6), Yacob (6), Phillips (6), Morrison (6), Chadli (7), Rondon (9)
Subs used: McClean (6), Gardner (n/a), Robson-Kanu (n/a)
Swansea: Fabianski (6), Rangel (6), Mawson (5), Amat (5), Taylor (5), Britton (6), Fulton (6), Routledge (7), Sigurdsson (6), Montero (5), Llorente (5)
Subs used: Barrow (6), Borja Baston (5), Cork (n/a)
Man of the match: Salomon Rondon
