West Brom confirm play-off place with win over Preston

West Brom confirmed their place in the Championship play-offs as they eased to a 3-0 victory over Preston on the final day of the regular season.

Alex Mowatt struck a penalty in first-half stoppage time before Kyle Bartley nodded in a second for the Baggies on the hour mark.

Darnell Furlong then netted his fifth goal of the season in the 68th minute to ensure the home side finished fifth and the visitors’ campaign was completed with five successive losses.

West Brom began the game on the front foot and Grady Diangana tested Freddie Woodman with a low drive in the early stages, but Preston held their motivated hosts at arm’s length and slowly grew into the game.

Andrew Hughes tried his luck from outside the penalty area, but his effort took a deflection on its way through to goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

At the other end, Albion ought to have gone in front when Brandon Thomas-Asante was first to a loose ball after Preston failed to clear Mowatt’s free-kick, but he couldn’t direct his effort from close range on target and captain Bartley failed to make contact at the far post.

West Brom would head into the break in front, though, when Darnell Furlong was adjudged to have been felled by Liam Lindsay inside the penalty area and Mowatt consequently sent Woodman in the North End goal the wrong way.

Mowatt was teed up by lively Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston at the beginning of the second half, but he curled the ball high over the bar.

West Brom continued to create, and Mowatt proved to be the orchestrator from set-pieces – both centre-halves Cedric Kipre and then Bartley fired just over the bar in quick succession.

Johnston produced some magic on the by-line but his pull-back was turned over by Thomas-Asante from a matter of yards out.

West Brom did have their second on the hour mark, though. Furlong’s signature long throw was nodded over keeper Woodman by Bartley and the ball looped over the line despite an attempted clearance.

Albion, with the cushion, began to enjoy themselves. Less than 10 minutes after their second goal arrived, they plundered a third when Conor Townsend won a 50-50 on the left and he picked out opposing full-back Furlong, who dispatched with ease.

The West Brom right-back went close again when it opened up for him on the edge of the box, but he fizzed a shot wide of Woodman’s left-hand post.