Okay gives Baggies a welcome lift

ALBION under Carlos Corberan have lift off after Okay Yokuslu poked home a late winner to settle the score against a stubborn Blackpool and lift them off the bottom of the Championship on Tuesday night.

Corberan made three changes, restoring the available again Kyle Bartley to the back-line and introducing Yokuslu to play alongside Taylor Gardner-Hickman in the midfield.

John Swift also started and, with Matt Phillips on the left hand side, they reverted to a 4-2-3-1 after the 3-4-3 system failed to work in the defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday.

They began better but without zero cutting edge. Albion were dominating the ball but struggling to break down a Blackpool side who looked to frustrate and leave with a point and a clean sheet if their game plan worked.

Most of Albion’s impressive play came too deep to hurt the Tangerines. Gardner-Hickman and Yokuslu were the pick of the players in the first period. Jed Wallace delivered many crosses, but Albion carried little or no threat where it mattered.

Their best chance by some distance came through the middle. Yokuslu won the ball and had Blackpool running back towards their own goal. He delicately slipped Grant in, but the forward only found Chris Maxwell’s torso.

Albion, after an early scare which required dealing with by Darnell Furlong, got themselves back on the front foot when shooting towards the Brummie Road End. Phillips was fed when Gardner-Hickman won the midfield battle and he ran at his man before cutting inside and firing over the bar. Moments later, Wallace also won the ball high and picked out Phillips on the opposing wing. His first-time cut-back was curled over the bar by the on-rushing Swift.

Corberan introduced Tom Rogic and Brandon ThomasAsante to find a late winner, and they got one – but from Yokuslu, who scored his first goal for the club. A corner was swung in and the first contact bounced off Rogic, before the Turk knocked the ball into an empty net.