West Bromwich Albion vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
The HawthornsAttendance22,369.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between West Brom and Swansea at The Hawthorns as Michael Obafemi scored late on to increase the pressure on Baggies boss Steve Bruce.
Saturday 1 October 2022 18:37, UK
Angry West Brom supporters turned on manager Steve Bruce as Swansea grabbed a late goal to win 3-2 at the Hawthorns.
Substitute Michael Obafemi scored in the 89th minute after Karlan Grant had missed a late penalty for West Brom to make it back-to-back victories for Russell Martin's side.
That prompted chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning' to Bruce from both ends of the ground.
West Brom have won just once in the Sky Bet Championship this season, and not for six games.
Up until the winner, goalkeeper Steven Benda, who celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday, had looked to be Swansea's hero after saving Grant's poor 81st-minute spot kick.
Matt Sorinola went close for Swansea before he gave them a sixth-minute lead as Albion goalkeeper David Button quickly went from hero to zero.
First Sorinola's close range volley was superbly tipped around the post by the goalkeeper, who then completely missed Ryan Manning's corner to allow Sorinala to chest the ball into an empty net.
It was the eighth time Albion had conceded first in 11 Championship games this season, six of which have come in the first 15 minutes.
Grady Diangana missed the chance to equalise when he delayed his shot after Benda sliced a clearance and was out of position when Brandon Thomas-Asante closed him down.
Diangana then turned provider but the finish from Jed Wallace left a lot to be desired as the winger mishit his shot from 12 yards out.
The pattern continued as Diangana's corner - flicked on by Conor Townsend - hit Thomas-Asante and landed safely in Benda's arms.
Diangana's deflected cross teed up Wallace but he screwed his angled shot horribly wide from close range.
Loud boos greeted the half-time whistle after West Brom's appeals for a penalty were waved aside by referee Graham Scott. Thomas-Asante had appeared to have been wrestled to the ground by Kyle Naughton tussling for Wallace's cross.
West Brom were level within three minutes of the restart.
Jake Livermore, making his 199th League appearance for the Baggies, sidefooted home from 10 yards after his header from John Swift's corner went to Tom Rogic, who was dispossessed.
Diangana put his side ahead for the first time in the 65th minute.
The former West Ham winger placed an angled low drive through Nathan Wood's legs and beyond Benda after Wallace cut inside and squared across the box.
Swansea equalised in the 71st minute. Substitute Oliver Ntcham, who replaced Jay Fulton five minutes earlier, skipped inside Diangana before rolling a low left-footed shot in off Button's left-hand post from 20 yards.
West Brom squandered the chance to regain the lead when substitute Grant missed an 81st-minute penalty after he had been shoved by fellow sub Armstrong Okoflex.
Instead it was Swansea who won it when Obafemi turned smartly past his man on to Ntcham's pass to sidefoot past Button.
West Brom's Steve Bruce: "No. I don't expect reassurances. I will get on with the job. We need to turn it around and I'm convinced we will. At the moment things are tough. We're nowhere near what is acceptable. And when I look around me and see managers gone we all understand the game. But I've not given up yet.
"I can understand their [the fans'] frustration since I walked through the door. They've been great towards me but you can feel a frustration because of results. Apart from the first 10 games of last season, they've not seen enough wins in two years. I get it - they want to see their team win and we've good enough players to win matches, but we're not doing that."
Swansea's Russell Martin: "I'm so proud of (the players) for the character, the willingness to run for each other, and the trust they showed in each other at times to come back from going behind in the second half. A bit of anxiety crept in after we started the game so well. And then West Brom threw caution to the win and committed more bodies to the press, they were really aggressive and have some really outstanding players and athletes.
"We limited them to very little in open play and we looked a real threat. Steven had a big moment with the penalty save, and the subs were incredible when they came on. We were fortunate in that we were able to bring on two really top performers on their day at this level and they made a difference."
