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West Bromwich Albion vs Doncaster Rovers. Sky Bet Championship.

The HawthornsAttendance22,184.

West Bromwich Albion 3

  • J Olsson (19th minute, 65th minute)
  • C Wood (85th minute)

Doncaster Rovers 1

  • W Fairhurst (7th minute)

Baggies climb to top of table

Image: Olsson: Two goals

West Brom went to the top of the Championship table after a 3-1 win over Doncaster at The Hawthorns.

West Brom secure 3-1 win over Doncaster

Jonas Olsson grabbed a double as West Brom moved to the top of the Championship table with an impressive home win against Doncaster. Roberto Di Matteo's side fell behind early on when 20-year-old forward Waide Fairhurst scored on his first start for the visitors. But Olsson headed home from a Graham Dorrans corner to bring Albion level in the 19th minute, before converting another Dorrans set-piece to give his side the lead in the second half. Substitute Chris Wood then added a third in the closing stages to kill off any hopes of a Doncaster comeback. Albion retain their unbeaten start to the season with the win and are now one point ahead of Newcastle and Middlesbrough at the summit, although the Magpies do have a game in hand. Doncaster are down to 17th, having taken seven points from their opening seven matches of the season.

Change

Baggies boss Di Matteo made just one change from the side that beat Plymouth 3-1 at the weekend, bringing in Robert Koren at the expense of Simon Cox, meaning Roman Bednar was employed as a lone striker. Doncaster handed a full debut to recent loan signing Billy Sharp, while fellow forward Fairhurst was also handed his first start for the club in the absence of injured duo James Coppinger and James Hayter. The hosts started the game brightly, but it was Rovers who took the lead in the seventh minute as Sharp latched onto John Oster's centre before setting-up Fairhurst to sweep home from six yards. The Baggies then suffered a further blow as Marek Cech, who scored two goals against Plymouth, picked up an injury and was replaced by Jerome Thomas. But the home side soon pulled level when Olsson leapt highest to head Dorrans' corner into the net in the 19th minute. The Baggies piled on the pressure for the rest of the half, with Shelton Martis heading over from another Dorrans corner and Chris Brunt testing goalkeeper Neil Sullivan with one free-kick and firing narrowly wide with another.

Chances

But Doncaster, who lost Gareth Roberts to injury shortly after the 30 minute mark, were always a threat and came close themselves when Stock fired wide from the edge of the area after Scott Carson failed to clear. Rovers began the second half on the front foot, with Martin Woods testing Carson with an attempted lob from a long way out. Stock also saw a free-kick drift over the bar, while at the other end the hosts were left largely frustrated in their attempts to carve out a clear-cut chance in open play. In the end, Albion were left to rely on another set-piece to finally take the lead as Olsson headed an inswinging Dorrans free-kick into the far corner. Adam Lockwood missed a golden chance to snatch an equaliser for Rovers with 11 minutes remaining when he nodded a Woods corner inches wide. But Wood put the result beyond doubt when he rifled home a 25-yard effort on 85 minutes.

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