West Brom have blown automatic promotion with defeat, says Bilic

Huddersfield Town Willock 4, Smith Rowe 86 2 West Brom 1 O’shea 42 1

Emile Smith Rowe’s 86th-minute winner for Huddersfield Town sent Leeds United up and condemned West Bromwich Albion, according to their manager Slaven Bilic, to the play-offs.

The result was also excellent news for Brentford who now become favourites to join Leeds in the Premier League and can move above Albion into the top two by drawing at Stoke this lunchtime.

Needing a victory to keep their own hopes of automatic promotion in their own hands, Albion had cancelled out Chris Willock’s early goal thanks to a Dara O’shea equaliser late in the first half.

But with four minutes left, Lewis O’brien slipped through an exquisite ball which allowed Smith Rowe to roll an equally accomplished finish into the far corner.

“I don’t expect Brentford to make a mistake,” said Bilic. “So we’re ready for QPR and then the playoffs. We were poor at everything from the start until the finish. From the outside it looked like we weren’t trying. That wasn’t the case, but we crumbled under pressure.”

Bilic had told his players that nerves were understandable, although they seemed to take his observation too much to heart, conceding after just four minutes.

O’shea fouled Juninho Bacuna who took the free-kick himself, whipping in a dangerous ball which goalkeeper Sam Johnstone succeeded only in kicking directly to Willock who scored from six yards.

The visitors only threatened the home goal for the first time late in the first period, levelling after 42 minutes, in controversial fashion, after Huddersfield keeper Jonas Lossl could only parry Matheus Pereira’s free-kick and O’shea headed in the rebound.

Town appealed, in vain, that Grady Diangana had obscured Lossl’s view while in a clearly offside position.

Four Albion subs were used before the hour mark in an improved second-half display, although that could not prevent a Huddersfield winner that all but guarantees Danny Cowley’s side of safety.

“I don’t think you should celebrate not getting relegated, but I’m proud,” said Cowley. “There’s a lot of emotion in our dressing room.”