TOP BAGGIES PLAY IT CALL New West Brom star Robbo punishes old club

West Brom Preston PRESTON cannot have expected to face Callum Robinson so soon after selling him to the Premier League last summer.

But the forward returned to haunt them, teeing up both first-half goals as tabletopping West Brom took a firm grasp on promotion.

Albion looked every inch a Premier League-bound side as they went in at the break 2-0 through goals from Hal Robson-kanu and Jake Livermore.

Only Preston keeper Declan Rudd stood between the play-off chasing visitors and a thumping.

Rudd twice denied shots from Robinson, who was loaned to The Hawthorns in January after just one league goal for Sheffield United following an £8million move.

And Darnell Fisher saw red in the 64th minute for fouling his former teammate.

Albion took a stranglehold on the game when Robsonkanu scored his 10th goal of the season with a smart chest down and low left-foot finish in the sixth minute.

Robinson was the provider and he looks destined for another crack at the Premier League next season.

Robson-kanu and Robinson, along with the skilful Brazilian Matheus Pereira, put Preston firmly on the back foot.

Pereira played

MATCH STATS

an outrageous reverse pass in the 29th minute to set Robinson free on the right.

Only a good save from keeper Rudd, smartly off his line, denied the striker against his old club.

Rudd made another good save in the 38th minute to deny Robinson again from a defence-splitting Pereira pass.

Filip Krovinovic, who earlier put a free-kick over, saw the follow-up blocked by defender Patrick Bauer.

But irresistible Albion were not to be denied and made it 2-0 just before the break after another well-worked move.

Robinson popped up this time on the right flank and crossed for Robson-kanu to chest the ball down again.

This time skipper Livermore was on hand to lash in a fierce left-foot shot from just inside the box for his third goal of the season.

After the restart Ahmed Hegazi shot wide from the edge of the box and Preston’s slim hopes of a comeback evaporated when Fisher was ordered off.

Baggies boss Slaven Bilic felt sufficiently confident of victory to take off Pereira, who was given a huge ovation by the home supporters.

WEST BROM: Johnstone 7, O’shea 7, Ajayi 7, Hegazi 7, Townsend 7, Livermore 8, Harper 7, Pereira 9 (Phillips 73, 6), Krovinovic 7, Robinson 8 (Grosicki 79, 6), Robson-kanu 8 (Austin 85) PRESTON: Rudd 8, Fisher 6, Bauer 6, Davies 7, Hughes 6, Pearson 6, Johnson 6, Barkhuizen 6 (Stockley 84), Browne 6, Maguire 6 (Potts 85), Nugent 5 (Sinclair 78, 5)

REFEREE: Kevin Friend