West Bromwich Albion vs Burnley. Premier League.
The HawthornsAttendance23,016.
Tuesday 22 November 2016 07:51, UK
West Brom moved into the top half of the table with their biggest Premier League win in more than two years as they defeated Burnley 4-0.
After scoring his first goal for the club in their 2-1 victory at Leicester in their previous outing, Matt Phillips notched his second just four minutes into the contest at The Hawthorns.
His fellow Scotland internationals James Morrison and Darren Fletcher also struck before half-time to kill the match as a contest.
The excellent Salomon Rondon then got a fourth as Albion matched their 4-0 scoreline from September 2014, also against Burnley, to move up into ninth place.
Both sides went into the fixture off the back of valuable wins in their previous outings but it was West Brom who built on theirs.
Phillips had been the matchwinner at the King Power Stadium and continued from where he left off - albeit his opener was a gift from the visitors.
Chris Brunt released Morrison down the right and his cross was intercepted by Dean Marney, but he succeeded only in playing the loose ball to the former QPR forward.
Phillips then took a touch to control before turning round and firing high into the net from close range to give the hosts an advantage they never looked like losing.
Burnley tried to respond but Scott Arfield's volley from a tight angle was tame, Steven Defour's shot was blocked and Jeff Hendrick lifted just wide of the post.
West Brom made them pay for their misses in ruthless fashion as they poured forward and Rondon showed great upper body strength to hold off Michael Keane and set up their second.
He played Morrison clear and the midfielder waited before picking his spot low past Heaton with a really smart, curled finish.
It suddenly seemed such a long way back for Burnley and even Heaton made an uncharacteristic mistake as he passed to Morrison only to feel relief as he screwed high and wide.
A third was coming, however, and after Rondon drilled a fierce volley just over after being supplied by Allan Nyom, it was Fletcher who got it.
Phillips was the creator on the left, bursting away from Matt Lowton before crossing to the back post and finding the former Manchester United player, who bundled in his first of the campaign.
Burnley's reply was meek after the break and it was fitting the final goal of the night went to Rondon.
One of the most improved forwards in the Premier League, his all-round play had been terrific and although his strike went in via a deflection, it was richly deserved.
Phillips and Morrison combined on the left to feed Nyom and his cut-back found Rondon, who controlled then steered in off Ben Mee.
There were chances for a fifth as West Brom finished strongly on a night when a Tony Pulis team scored four times in a Premier League match for just the third time.
Brunt's long-range volley went past, Hal Robson-Kanu almost poked in a wicked cross from the Northern Irishman and Heaton tipped an attempt from Craig Gardner wide.
The final whistle saw Burnley drop a place to 12th. They have just one goal and one point from their away games this season.
West Brom: Foster (6), Dawson (6), McAuley (6), Evans (6), Nyom (7), Yacob (7), Fletcher (7); Brunt (8), Morrison (8), Phillips (7), Rondon (9)
Subs: McClean (4), Robson-Kanu (3), Gardner (2)
Burnley: Heaton (7), Lowton (5), Keane (5), Mee (5), Ward (4), Arfield (5), Hendrick (5), Defour (4), Marney (4), Gudmundsson (5), Vokes (4)
Subs: Barnes (5), Gray (3), Boyd (2)
Man of the match: Salomon Rondon
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