Bristol City move into top six with win at West Brom

First-half goals from Anis Mehmeti and Ross McCrorie helped Bristol City climb into the Sky Bet Championship play-off zone with a 2-1 victory over West Brom at The Hawthorns.

Ousmane Diakite pulled one back in the 85th minute but Albion struggled to create chances once City had taken the lead.

Back-to-back wins for City saw Albion suffer a first Hawthorns defeat in eight matches and successive losses.

City opened the scoring in the fourth minute after Albion winger Mikey Johnston’s deflected drive went into the side-netting.

Mehmeti rolled a shot on the turn into the bottom corner from 20 yards after Neto Borges’ short pass for his seventh goal of the season.

But it will spark fresh criticism of goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, who looked as if he thought the Albania international’s effort was drifting wide.

There was an element of fortune around the goal as a City forward standing offside jumped over the ball but was deemed to be not interfering with play.

Albion head coach Ryan Mason appealed in vain to the fourth official.

Isaac Price missed the perfect chance to equalise in the 11th minute.

The attacking midfielder’s shot hit goalkeeper Max O’Leary’s chest in a one-against-one after Karlan Grant put him through.

O’Leary was again perfectly placed soon after to block Diakite’s point-blank header from Callum Styles’ corner.

There was a flashpoint when Mehmeti was only booked after appearing to elbow Styles in the face as he upended him.

The challenge left Albion down to 10 men while Styles was briefly forced off for treatment clutching his nose.

McCrorie doubled City’s lead in the 22nd minute, crashing a fierce, rising angled drive past Wildsmith at his near post after Scott Twine found him unmarked.

Grant had the first effort after the restart but O’Leary was again in the right place to smother his low drive from the edge of the box.

Grant had another chance but his fierce, angled effort was deflected high over the bar.

Albion fans were getting restless and made their feelings known just after the hour.

Aune Heggebo wasted a glorious chance to reduce the deficit in the 68th minute when he glanced wide from five yards from substitute Sammy Iling-Junior’s cross.

Heggebo looped over another header but by this time thousands of Albion fans had seen enough and had exited the ground.

Diakite gave the hosts a lifeline with a header from point-blank range from Johnston’s corner but the visitors saw out the game.