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West Brom go top after beating Wolves 1-0

15/04/2008

West Bromwich Albion moved to the top of the Championship after Zoltan Gera's second half goal gave them in 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Black Country derby at Molineux.

Gera scored the only goal of the game after 59 minutes when he struck a right foot shot through the legs of Wayne Hennessey after Kevin Phillips played him in.

The win puts the Baggies on top of the pile with 74 points and just three games to go while Wolves find themselves three points adrift of the playoffs, although they have a game in hand.

The first-half was played in pouring rain and Ishmael Miller could have opened the scoring twice but headed wide before directing a shot straight at Hennessey.

But Wolves came back as Sylvan Ebanks-Blake went close with a header from a Matthew Jarvis cross before Gera hit the post on ten minutes.

Michael Gray then forced a smart save from Dean Kiely after Phillips managed to head over from two yards with the goal at his mercy.

Wolves' best effort was a goal-mouth scramble before half time but West Brom survived and came out stronger after the midway point.

Tony Mowbray brought Roman Bednar on at the break and it took just 15 minutes for them to take the lead.

Gera moved onto Phillips pass to beat Hennessey just two minutes after Phillips' right foot effort hit the post.

The goal signalled a change in momentum as West Brom starved the home side of possession and Mick McCarthy brought on Freddie Eastwood to try and change the game but the former Southend strike failed to make an impact.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Hull City moved above Stoke City and into second place with a 3-1 victory over Barnsley at Oakwell.

Goals from Dean Marney, Ian Ashbee and Dean Windass gave the away side the points in a result which saw Barnsley remain four points clear of the relegation zone.