AUSTIN POWERS PROMOTION BID
But striker and West Brom are made to sweat for win
WEST BROM striker Charlie Austin eventually managed to celebrate a happy 31st birthday.
But Albion had to fight hard for a win that put them within a point of leaders Leeds and five clear of third-placed Brentford.
Austin showed his striking quality on his big day to kill Matheus Pereira’s drilled cross with his chest and poke the opener high into the net just before goalkeeper George Long could intervene.
But he was made to sweat after deflecting the equaliser into his own net.
George Honeyman’s corner had goalkeeper Sam Johnstone punching weakly, Kevin Stewart drilled the ball back in low and it flew into the net off Austin.
Thursday’s 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough ended Hull’s 13-game run without a win in the league – a spell which harvested only three points.
But Ahmed Hegazi had already booted Josh Magennis’ header off the Albion line before the visitors levelled.
Hegazi restored West Brom’s lead before the break with a powerful header from Pereira’s near-post corner.
But that was cancelled out three minutes into the second half when Mallik Wilks scored with a bullet header. They were level for just 76 seconds before a brilliant searching ball from Pereira split Hull’s back line and Kamil Grosicki raced through to finish clinically.
Slaven Bilic and his men were left thanking Johnstone for keeping them ahead with a tremendous save from Jon Toral.
They needed a bit of magic to seal the deal, and substitute Grady Diangana provided it, cutting past three men before drilling a low shot in off a post.
Baggies boss Bilic said: “It was frantic.We have to relax in a positive way because the pressure of being up there is only going to get bigger.We felt it more than we should today. We coped with it well enough because we won but we have to learn to cope with it better. We were always in the lead or level for a few minutes. That should relax us, but it didn’t.”
Hull boss Grant McCann said: “Some of the goals were unacceptable. It’s a shame because in an attacking sense we were excellent.”
The game ended on a sour note when Hegazi was sent off for a second yellow card.