Key Takeaways
- Josh Maja and Daryl Dike scored to give West Brom a 2-0 victory at Deepdale.
- The Baggies are now five points above the relegation zone with three matches left.
- Interim coach James Morrison has gone eight games unbeaten since his first loss.
West Bromwich Albion eased their relegation fears with a confident 2-0 win against Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday.
Josh Maja opened the scoring in the 11th minute after latching on to a loose ball in the box. Substitute Daryl Dike wrapped up the points 13 minutes from time, smashing home Jayson Molumby’s cut-back.
The result stretches the Baggies’ unbeaten run to eight matches under caretaker boss James Morrison. Only a single defeat to Oxford has blemished his temporary reign, a sharp turnaround from former coach Eric Ramsay’s winless eight-game streak.
West Brom began brightly. Defender George Campbell saw a fourth-minute header blocked, while Preston goalkeeper Daniel Iversen later denied Isaac Price’s dangerous cross with an outstretched leg.
Preston, safe from relegation worries, looked sluggish. Midfielder Ben Whiteman injured himself tackling Price during the build-up to Maja’s goal and had to be replaced by Jordan Thompson.
North End’s best first-half moment came when Alfie Devine glanced a header wide from Andrew Hughes’ inviting delivery.
Paul Heckingbottom introduced Thierry Small at half-time to inject energy, and Preston improved briefly. Daniel Jebbison forced Max O’Leary into an awkward save, and Brad Potts saw a header tipped over.
Maja could have doubled the lead midway through the second half but shot straight at Iversen from close range. Instead, it was Dike who confirmed the win, finishing emphatically after Molumby’s low pull-back.
Preston almost nabbed a late consolation, yet Andrew Hughes and Lewis Dobbin both fired over from good positions.
The clean sheet lifts West Brom five points clear of the bottom three, although the club still faces a possible points deduction off the pitch. With nine points left to play for, survival is now in their own hands.