Mehmeti and McCrorie shoot City back into play-off places

BRISTOL

- Dan Carter

City made it back-to-back Championship wins and secured a third straight Boxing Day victory as they beat West Brom 2-1 at The Hawthorns on Friday afternoon, with goals from Anis Mehmeti and Ross McCrorie enough for the Robins to claim all three points.Mehmeti and McCrorie scored their seventh and second goal of the campaign in the first half to put the Robins in a commanding position, but an Ousmane Diakite header five minutes from full-time ensured the closing exchanges were far from comfortable.

With the final kick of the game, Baggies forward Karlan Grant rattled the woodwork to leave Albion within touching distance of a point, but the Robins were able to clear the lines to ensure it would be a Christmas fixture to remember for those who made the trip up the M5.

The three points gained at The Hawthorns were enough for City to climb back into the Championship playoff places, with Gerhard Struber’s side sixth in the table.

Struber made one change to the starting lineup that got the better of Middlesbrough last time out, with Boro loanee Neto Borges replacing Sinclair Armstrong, who dropped to the bench. The Robins were also without Fally Mayulu, who was left out of the matchday squad in its entirety as a result of injury.