West Brom continued their unbeaten run to eight matches by defeating Preston North End 2-0 at Deepdale, further distancing themselves from the relegation battle in the Championship. The first goal arrived early, when Josh Maja displayed calm composure inside the box in the 11th minute, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Daniel Iversen after a mis‑controlled pass from Isaac Price allowed Aune Heggebo to inadvertently set up his teammate. The second strike came in the 77th minute when substitute Daryl Dike, having entered the fray only minutes earlier, finished a precise cut‑back from Jayson Molumby with a low, powerful shot from six yards.
Interim manager James Morrison opened his tenure with a loss to Oxford, but the Baggies have not tasted defeat since, a stark turnaround compared with former boss Eric Ramsay, who failed to win any of his eight Championship matches. This fresh momentum has lifted West Brom five points clear of the danger zone with three games remaining, although a looming points‑deduction threat still hangs over the club. The match began with Albion nearly taking the lead when George Campbell met Callum Styles' fourth‑minute corner with a header that was blocked amid a crowded penalty area. The breakthrough finally came when Maja struck decisively, sending the ball beyond Iversen after Heggebo, under pressure, mis‑controlled Price's incisive pass and handed the ball to the striker.
Preston’s frustration grew when defender Ben Whiteman suffered an injury while attempting a tackle on Price during the build‑up to the goal, prompting an early substitution for Jordan Thompson. Despite the setback, the visitors appeared more animated, with Iversen making a strong save in the 25th minute, denying Price a dangerous cross that was heading straight for goal. Preston’s first genuine chance arrived around the half‑hour mark when Alfie Devine glanced wide from an attractive cross by Andrew Hughes.
The North End side seemed sluggish, perhaps because the fixture held little at stake beyond pride. At halftime, Paul Heckingbottom introduced Thierry Small for Andrew Moran, hoping to inject energy into a side that had been out‑worked in the first half. The second half started brightly for Preston.
Max O'Leary, playing as a wing‑back, performed an unorthodox juggling save to clear Daniel Jebbison’s close‑range effort, keeping the ball out of the net amid a congested box. In the 56th minute, Brad Potts headed a goal‑bound ball that forced O'Leary to adjust his position, and the defender tipped the ball over the bar as Hughes’ cross found the back post. Maja almost doubled West Brom’s lead shortly thereafter, meeting a low delivery from Styles but blasting the ball straight at Iversen from the centre of the area.
Preston’s brief respite vanished when Dike, after only seven minutes on the pitch, struck past Iversen from six yards, sealing the win with a clinical finish off Molumby's cut‑back. In stoppage time, Hughes rose high from close range but failed to convert, while Lewis Dobbin headed Small’s excellent cross wide, missing an opportunity that seemed straightforward. West Brom held firm to claim a vital three points.
After the match, Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom expressed his disappointment: "Really disappointing today. One of the worst performances of the season.
If you get outfought like that in the first half, that cannot happen. You can lose, but not like that. I’m not taking anything away from West Brom – they have good players and a solid squad. We had no right to beat them, but I expected us to compete.
The two main disappointments were being outfought in the first half and failing to execute everything we prepared for. Sometimes, if you can’t give the players a solution then you’re culpable, but we knew what we were going to face and for some reason we didn’t do well." Morrison praised his side’s performance, saying: "I thought it was a top performance.
The goals came at the right times. The first one came when we started really well. We got our rewards with good play and a great finish, then we controlled the game without being overstretched. When we had to defend the box, we defended it really well.
I always feel confident with Josh – if he gets a chance, he will score – and Daryl’s performances have been really good. He’s just been unlucky at times with chances, but that tops his hard work, so I’m delighted with him because he’s an important part of the group." The win also keeps West Brom in contention for the Super 6 prize of £250,000, a free‑to‑play competition that closes at 3 pm on Saturday. Looking ahead, the Baggies will aim to maintain their momentum, secure further points, and navigate the administrative challenge of the potential points deduction, while Preston will need to regroup, address their defensive frailties, and find a way to convert the few chances they create if they hope to climb out of the relegation zone.