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Carlos Corberan enjoyed a happy return to Huddersfield as West Brom came from behind to clinch a thumping 4-1 victory.
The Baggies failed to register a single shot in a dismal first-half display as Delano Burgzorg gave the hosts a deserved lead at the break.
However, a rampant away side turned on the style in an impressive second half to stretch their unbeaten run to five games and tighten their grip on a play-off place.
A double courtesy of the in-form Mikey Johnston, a goal on Kyle Bartley’s return and a thunderbolt from Okay Yokuslu set the Baggies on their way to an important win.
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Okay Yokuslu put West Brom firmly in the driving seat at the John Smith’s Stadium with a ferocious strike from distance.
Andre Breitenreiter – Huddersfield’s fifth boss since Corberan left the club in July 2022 – oversaw another bright start in his fourth game in charge.
The hosts, who dropped into the relegation zone following Stoke’s victory at Preston on Saturday, dominated the early stages and were eventually rewarded.
On the cusp of the half hour mark, Burgzorg opened the scoring against the Baggies – just as he did in the reverse fixture back in September.
The Dutch forward twisted beyond Darnell Furlong before unleashing a fierce strike that wriggled under stopper Alex Palmer – his seventh goal of the campaign.
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Delano Burgzorg created space in the area for a left footed shot which squirmed under the dive of Alex Palmer.
And a rocked West Brom nearly found themselves further behind moments later, but they were indebted to Bartley’s heroic last-ditch challenge to thwart Jack Rudoni.
Despite a dreadful first half, the Baggies only found themselves one goal behind and Corberan’s instructions at the interval proved decisive.
A transformed side returned for the restart and they soon found their leveller to open the floodgates.
Jed Wallace dashed to the byline and teed up Celtic loanee Johnston for a simple tap-in, with the latter continuing his hot goalscoring streak since a January switch.
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Mikey Johnston equalised with a poacher’s finish after West Brom made a fast start to the second half.
Burgzorg was gifted a golden chance to restore Huddersfield’s lead by Yokuslu, but Palmer raced out crucially to deny a Town second.
And that miss would prove pivotal for the course of the fixture as the visitors completed their quickfire comeback on the hour mark.
A Wallace strike prompted pinball in the hosts’ box with a poaching Bartley on hand to poke home – marking his first start in seven games with a goal.
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Kyle Bartley was in the right place at the right time as the ball dangerously pinballed around the box.
Turkish international Yokuslu, who turned 30 on Saturday, then marked his birthday weekend in style as his piledriver from range arrowed beyond a helpless Nicholls.
The rampant Baggies soon added a fourth through Johnston’s second of the afternoon.
The dazzling winger skipped beyond Matty Pearson and slotted coolly beyond Nicholls for his sixth goal in seven games.
And to compound a miserable afternoon for the Terriers, a heroic Palmer double save denied both Rudoni and Danny Ward as they remain in the drop zone.
Meanwhile, West Brom secured a first win this season after conceding first and a first league victory at Huddersfield since 2000.
The managers
Huddersfield’s Andre Breitenreiter:
“I think their first goal was very close, maybe offside, their second goal was really unlucky and that changed the game. We were fantastic in the first half, we controlled the game. We were not really good with the last pass, we had so many ball wins in a high zone. We wanted to play the same way in the second half but the first two goals were very unlucky.
“We should have scored again after the equaliser but that was the difference today – they score from 30 metres, we didn’t score from 10. We had a lot of chances and we didn’t use them. West Brom were good in the second half, we have to congratulate them. We tried until the end but you have to finish.”
West Brom’s Carlos Corberan:
“After the first half it was important to understand the type of game we were playing. The players in the second half they put the right character and game understanding to win the three points today.
“It’s important for us to score from every situation and everyone in the front of the team is able to do the finishing. Mikey Johnston is having a very positive impact for us.
“We were having a lot of unforced mistakes so it was important to stop [those]. We knew today was important, a tough game. I like the fact I saw the fighting mentality of my team in the second half.”
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