West Bromwich Albion

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West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray believes his side are facing a "tough period" after losing 3-1 to Derby County.

Goals from Ebou Adams, Jerry Yates and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, the Baggies' sole score coming from striker Adam Armstrong, subjected the Midlands club to their fifth loss in six games.

"Obviously, it's a tough period for us," said a dejected Mowbray to BBC Radio WM.

"I haven't seen anything since I've been here like the goals we conceded today from the set-plays.

"It's so unlike us. Two set-play goals from a hard-working, honest team. I thought we lacked courage today, didn't play enough forward es, weren't brave enough on the ball."

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West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray itted that his side were not good enough to deserve anything other than a local derby defeat by his old club Coventry City.

"We've lost late goals in games when we felt we should have been winning, and found a way to lose or drop points, but that wasn't the case this time," he said.

"We've lost a little of our normal intensity. But it's football. You have to take it on the chin."

Albion are now six points shy of the play-off places, after once again failing to win away from The Hawthorns.

After winning their first three away games this season, they have now not triumphed on the road since Hull City on 10 November - and they have picked up only three away points out of a possible 24 under Mowbray.

If Coventry and Bristol City both win on Easter Monday, and Albion fail to win at home to Derby County, it would confirm that the Baggies will remain in the Championship for a fifth successive season.

And Mowbray itted: "Away, we just haven't accrued the points that we need to. Coventry are a decent team and they're on a good run of form and yet I still felt that we would come here and dominate more. But they played pretty well first half.

"We tried to make the changes at half-time that would have given us more control and yet we lost a goal within three minutes and had a sending-off pretty quickly after, and obviously the dynamic changed.

"We didn't perform at our level. It's frustrating that we aren't getting to the level we need to be at in such big games."

This is a Midlands derby with potentially significant repercussions for both sides' play-off hopes, as sixth-placed Coventry City take on West Bromwich Albion, one place and three points below them on Good Friday (15:00 BST).

The Sky Blues saw two important points slip through their fingers with Hull City's late equaliser on Monday and know any kind of repeat in this play-off six-pointer will give great hope to the Baggies - who bounced back from three straight defeats with a win against Watford last time out - and the chasing pack.

• Coventry City have lost each of their past four league games against West Brom, scoring only once in these defeats.

• West Brom have won four of their past six visits to Coventry (D1 L1), winning 2-0 there last season under Carlos Corberan.

• Coventry have won three of their past five league games on Good Friday (D1 L1), beating Huddersfield Town 3-1 last season.

• Among all teams to play 20+ league games on Good Friday, only Torquay United (10.5%) and Stoke City (12.5%) have a lower win ratio than West Bromwich Albion (15.4%, six wins in 39 games).

• West Brom's Tom Fellows has more Championship assists than any other player this season (13), 11 of which have come from open play – he's the only player with 10+ assists from open play in the competition this term.

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Kyle Bartley's West Bromwich Albion contract has been extended to the summer of 2026.

An appearance-based clause in the defender's contract has been triggered, giving him a new deal to stay at The Hawthorns for at least another season.

Bartley, 33, ed Albion from Swansea City in 2018 and has made 228 appearances for the Baggies, with 27 of them coming this term.

His career began at Arsenal and has included spells on loan at Sheffield United, Rangers, Birmingham City and Leeds United.

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West Bromwich Albion have already set themselves the challenge of winning their last five games this season to stand a chance of reaching the Championship play-offs for the second successive year.

And Saturday's 2-1 home win over Watford made it 'one down, four to go'.

Mikey Johnston got what proved to be the winner at The Hawthorns, only his third goal of a comparatively disappointing campaign, given the form he was in this time last season on loan from Celtic.

Now Albion face an even tougher test, at Frank Lampard's Coventry City on Good Friday.

And Johnston, who scored what also proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory over the Sky Blues 13 months ago, believes Albion are well capable.

"I know they've been on a good run," Johnston told BBC Radio WM. "But we're confident we can beat them. We need to win and feel we can, as we do about every game. But we also need to score more goals."

In the three straight defeats that preceded Saturday's win, Johnston reckons that losing 1-0 to both Norwich and Sunderland was all down to missed chances. And he includes himself as being among those who need to do better.

"The Sunderland and Norwich games, and Watford too, should have been put to bed a lot earlier," he said.

"I should have scored a lot more this season. I'm always trying to get on the end of crosses. It's about getting into the right positions. But it's given us confidence that we're creating a lot of chances."

Albion start the day seventh, three points behind sixth-placed Coventry. Victory would lift Tony Mowbray's men above his old club on goal difference. Defeat would make the gap six points with three games left.

The very definition of a six-pointer.

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West Brom boss Tony Mowbray itted he "didn't particularly like" his side's performance in their 2-1 win over Watford.

"I think the three points is the most important thing, I didn't particularly like our performance," he told BBC WM.

"I prefer to dominate the game and have double the shots of the opposition. It was a strange game today, they're a hugely athletic team and gave us some problems and yet I always felt on transitions there was a lot of space for us to play into.

"Two cutback goals is brilliant because we've worked on that a lot in the past 10 days.

"After the Sunderland game where we had over 60% possession and over 20 shots and lose 1-0, I said to the players do they want to be the dominant team or do you want to defend deeper and leave some space to counter-attack. It was interesting for me to see how quickly we could break away. It's food for thought moving forward."

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West Bromwich Albion have been unsuccessful in their attempt to overturn Jayson Molumby's red card at Bristol City on Tuesday night.

The 25-year-old Republic of Ireland midfielder was sent off in the final minute of normal time for his challenge on City player Joe Williams.

The hosts then took advantage of their extra man to come back and win 2-1.

To add to Albion's woes, the club's appeal has now been rejected by the English Football League's disciplinary department and he will have to serve an automatic three-game ban.

Molumby will miss Saturday's home game with Watford and the Easter weekend fixtures at Coventry City and at home to Derby County.

Albion sit eighth in the Championship, now five points shy of the last of the teams in the play-off places, with just five games left.

Molumby will not be available until the trip to Cardiff City on Saturday 26 April.

West Bromwich Albion have slipped five points behind the Championship play-off places with a five-match winless streak.

A win for Watford at The Hawthorns would see them overtake the Baggies in the table.

• West Brom have won just one of their past 12 league games against Watford (D6 L5), and are winless in their past eight (D4 L4) since a 3-1 victory in December 2016 in the Premier League.

• Watford have only won one of their past 12 league visits to West Brom (D6 L5), a 1-0 Premier League victory in April 2016.

• West Brom have lost each of their past three league games, but haven't lost four in a row outside the Premier League since April 1999 (5).

• Watford have lost 11 Championship away games this season, their most away defeats in a league season outside of the Premier League since 2009-10 (13).

• West Brom boss Tony Mowbray has won just one of his past seven Championship games against Watford (D2 L4), a 2-0 victory with Sunderland in October 2023.

West Bromwich Albion and Watford will both be looking to keep their Championship play-off hopes alive when they meet at The Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Baggies are eighth and three points off the top six, while the Hornets are one point further back in 10th.

Albion are without a win in five games (D2 L3) and Watford have won two of their previous seven matches (D2 L3).

• West Brom have won just one of their previous 12 league games against Watford (D6 L5), and are winless in their last eight (D4 L4) since a 3-1 victory in December 2016 in the Premier League.

• Watford have only won one of their past 12 league visits to West Brom (D6 L5), a 1-0 Premier League victory in April 2016.

• West Brom have lost each of their past three league games, but haven't lost four in a row outside of the Premier League since April 1999 (5).

• Watford have lost 11 Championship away games this season, their most away defeats in a league season outside of the Premier League since 2009-10 (13).

• West Brom's Tony Mowbray has won just one of his past seven Championship games against Watford (D2 L4), a 2-0 victory with Sunderland in October 2023.

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West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has left it as late as possible before making a decision on injured defender Torbjorn Heggem ahead of Saturday's visit of 10th-placed Watford.

After three straight defeats, Albion have fallen to eighth, five points adrift of the play-offs, and now play host to a Hornets side just a point behind them.

But, although Isaac Price is fit, despite playing with an ankle injury in Tuesday's late 2-1 defeat at Bristol City, the other team news is not so encouraging.

Albion have appealed against Jayson Molumby's red card at Ashton Gate, but striker Tammer Bany (hamstring) and defender Ousmane Diakite (ankle) are almost certainly out and Mowbray is waiting on Heggem, who also has an ankle problem.

And there was no fresh update on top scorer Josh Maja's leg injury, which has sidelined him since early January.

"Bany has been for a scan on a hamstring and I don't think Diakite is going to make it," said Mowbray. "It's an ankle ligament injury, in a challenge. There was a bit more force.

"Heggem, we'll have to wait and see, but it'll be close. He didn't train on Thursday. But Friday is the day we make decisions, because if they don't train Friday then they won't play."

Mowbray knows his side need to score more goals. Of all the teams in the Championship's top half, only Blackburn (44) and Millwall (40) have scored fewer than the 49 managed by Albion and Saturday's opponents Watford.

But, more worryingly, the Baggies have now shipped eight goals after the 86th minute this season – including stoppage-time winners in two of their past three games.

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West Bromwich Albion have appealed against Jayson Molumby's late dismissal in Tuesday night's Championship defeat at Bristol City.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder was shown a straight red card in the 89th minute at Ashton Gate after a challenge on Joe Williams.

"I know it's tough for the referees," Baggies head coach Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio WM. "The game is getting faster and faster but, having watched it back, it's probably the wrong decision in the context of the game.

"He actually pushed him over with his hip, jumped into a challenge but fell short of making the challenge.

"The referee saw the aggression of a challenge he didn't end up making. He 'hipped' him over. There were no studs shown, nothing which could have damaged the boy. He just kind of barged him over."

Albion have submitted a claim of wrongful dismissal to the Football Association.

"We appealed," added Mowbray. "I didn't have any input into that. If the club felt it worth appealing then so be it. And I can understand why you would."

The Baggies went on to concede a 96th-minute winner from City full-back Haydon Roberts - to their third league defeat in a row.

Molumby has started 30 Championship games this season for Mowbray's side, who now host 10th-placed Watford on Saturday (15:00 BST) in a match crucial to Albion's play-off hopes after those three straight losses, which have dropped them to eighth.

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West Brom manager Tony Mowbray said his side have to "accept" the result and move on after conceding a 96th-minute goal to lose 2-1 to play-off rivals Bristol City.

"I can't keep repeating the same things. We have to find a way. I've just vented a bit of frustration, I feel as if it can't happen, they can't score in the 96th minute, even though we're a man down we've still got nine outfield players in that box," Mowbray told BBC Radio WM.

"Somebody has to block it, somebody has to get their body there. It's a frustration because I think if anybody was going to win it before the sending off it was us.

"We were in the ascendancy, their crowd had gone quiet, we were dominating the ball, we had an amazing chance to score and win it with a couple of them in the last 15 minutes and to lose it.

"Is cruel the right word? It seems ridiculous to me but we have and we have to accept it and move on."

West Bromwich Albion will make the trip to Ashton Gate on Tuesday (19:45 BST) to try and knock Bristol City out of a play-off place.

Victory for the Baggies will see them level with the Robins on points but with a better goal difference.

However, Albion are winless across their past four league matches and have lost both of their past two.

Whereas, their hosts have only lost one in nine and will be hoping their form continues to see the West Midlands side drift further afield.

• Bristol City have only won one of their last nine league meetings with West Bromwich Albion (D2 L6), a 2-0 away win in October 2022.

• West Brom have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four league meetings with Bristol City. Only against four sides have they avoided conceding in 5+ consecutive league meetings in their history: Nottingham Forest (5 ending 1898), Birmingham (7 ending 1923), Brighton (5 ending 1990), and Middlesbrough (5 ending 2016).

• Bristol City are unbeaten in their last seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (W3 D4), last going on a longer such run which ended in September 2015 (16).

• West Brom are winless in their last 12 away league games (D7 L5), only twice before enduring a longer run outside of the top-flight, going 13 without a win from October 1929 to March 1930 and 14 from August 1994 to January 1995.

• West Brom's Tony Mowbray has won just one of his last six away league games against Bristol City (D2 L3), a 2-0 victory with Blackburn in December 2019.

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West Brom head coach Tony Mowbray hinted that he will stick by Joe Wildsmith despite the goalkeeper's latest error in the home defeat by Sunderland.

Wildsmith was slow to react to Trai Hume's first-half free-kick and the Baggies were unable to get back on level .

"Joe acknowledged he made a pretty bad mistake which cost us a goal, and ultimately the game," Mowbray said.

"But that's the job as a goalkeeper. It's frustrating because that becomes the narrative. With the chances we had and the situations we got into, you have to put the ball in the net.

"We've been here before but I'll see what he's like in training and see how he reacts. It's very naive to think 'the goalie makes a mistake, so change the goalie'.

"If the goalie you put in makes a mistake in the next game, where do you go then? Change him again? I don't think so. I will rely on my experience to make the right decisions. But the responsibility of the team is to score some goals in a game we were on top of for most of it."

Mowbray publicly backed Wildsmith last month following an error by the keeper in a 1-1 draw against Burnley.