Ideye turns down heat on Albion

IT IS a good job Brown Ideye did not leave West Brom on transfer deadline day, as he has now scored the goals that have kick- started their season.

After his £ 4million move to Qatari club Al- Gharafa fell through at the 11th hour of the window, the Nigerian has hit crucial goals against both Burnley and now Swansea.

Albion were prepared to make a loss of £ 6m on their record signing but he could now be priceless if he helps keep them up.

He flattered to deceive in the first half of the campaign, but his 60th- minute finish last night gave Lukasz Fabianski no chance.

He also helped set up the 74th- minute clincher for Saido Berahino, who played a one- two with him before finishing well.

Berahino – who was restored to the starting line- up after being left on the bench for the 2- 2 draw PULIS: Pressure at Burnley on Sunday – could not get going in a first half of little activity.

This was arguably the biggest game of Tony Pulis’s short spell in charge of Albion, with his side just one point above the bottom three ahead of this game.

West Brom had started poorly at Burnley, where they went down 2- 0 before coming back to draw, but they appeared more defensively solid for this encounter.

With a bit more luck, the animated Pulis would have been celebrating a first- half goal, as Craig Dawson’s header was superbly kept out by Fabianski from James Morrison’s corner.

The Swansea keeper also reacted quickly to

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ensure Jonjo Shelvey’s inadvertent touch did not beat him on the rebound.

After a quiet start from the visitors, Garry Monk’s side did eventually respond as Shelvey shot wide from the edge of the area, while Ben Foster had to be alert to hold on to Bafetimbi Gomis’s effort just before the break.

Berahino looked more lively at the start of the second half, as he curled over the bar from the edge of the area from Callum McManaman’s cross after he had started the move. But West Brom went on to break the deadlock on the hour, as substitute Stephane Sessegnon fed Berahino, whose cross found Ideye.

The striker was initially tacked by Swansea centre- back Ashley Williams but he reacted quickest to fire home a superb finish.

Pulis has obviously worked on his side’s defensive form and it needed a fine block by Darren Fletcher to keep out an effort from Wayne Routledge shortly afterwards.

But the match was sealed as Jefferson Montero was caught in possession and Ideye and Berahino did the rest.

WEST BROM ( 4- 4- 2):

SWANSEA ( 4- 5- 1):

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