West Bromwich Albion have kept their Premier League survival hopes alive by securing a 1-0 victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.
Morgan Amalfitano earned all three points for Pepe Mel's side with a first-half strike, which has now placed them six points ahead of the drop zone in the table.
After an unbeaten run of six league home games for Norwich, Chris Hughton's men have fallen to just one place above the bottom three on the same points as this weekend's opponents.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes that unfolded.
Match statistics
Norwich City
Shots: 12
On target: 4
Possession: 69%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 10
West Bromwich Albion
Shots: 8
On target: 5
Possession: 31%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
West Bromwich Albion deserved to take all three points this afternoon as their game plan worked at Carrow Road. Mel's side were impressive on the counter-attack and ensured that all of the players gave a hand in defence when they had surrendered possession. After Amalfitano took the lead in the first half, the Baggies were able to stifle Norwich, who struggled to make an impact in the final third, despite creating a number of chances as the game progressed.
Norwich City's performance
The majority of Norwich's play broke down when they entered the final third. However, had the likes of Robert Snodgrass and Johan Elmander been more clinical in their efforts, then the Canaries may have taken something out of the game. Hughton's men came out firing at the start of the second half, but their effort dwindled as the match progressed, which made it relatively easy for West Brom to hold on.
West Bromwich Albion's performance
As mentioned above, West Brom's tactics paid off in this afternoon's encounter as they managed to cause problems for Norwich with their pace, which resulted in their first and only goal of the match. While Stephane Sessegnon and Matej Vydra showcased their swift movement up front, they also joined the rest of the team in defence when they needed to drop back and maintain the Baggies' lead.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jonas Olsson: The defender impressed on his return to the starting lineup following a two-match ban. He was a vital component in West Brom's team this afternoon as he helped conduct the defensive line, while also making some significant clearances in a bid to halt Norwich's attack. Goalkeeper Ben Foster made a vital save to keep out a goal-bound effort from Snodgrass, and the entire team did well in their defensive duties when it was needed, but Olsson stood out.
Biggest gaffe
Alexander Tettey did not have the best of games at Carrow Road this afternoon. The midfielder made a number of defensive mistakes for his team, which could have eventually proved costly. One particular incident involved the 28-year-old knocking the ball back out for a West Brom corner when there was absolutely no threat. Thankfully for Norwich, the corner did not pile more damage onto the result.
Referee performance
Mark Clattenburg controlled proceedings well as he allowed the game to flow and had no major decisions to contend with. The match official issued just one yellow card throughout the entire match, which was a deserved booking for Tettey following a challenge on Sessegnon.
What next?
Norwich City: The Canaries will travel to fellow struggling side Fulham on April 12.
West Bromwich Albion: The Baggies have a home clash at The Hawthorns against Tottenham Hotspur lined up for a week today.
Danielle Joynson
