Substitute Charlie Austin snatched a dramatic win for West Brom to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 and maintain their two-point lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
Austin’s 88th-minute penalty came just at the right time for Slaven Bilic’s side, who were coming heavy pressure at The Hawthorns before stretching their unbeaten run to seven games with their third straight win.
Hal Robson-Kanu’s fourth goal in six games gave Albion a 10th-minute lead but Steven Fletcher’s 58th-minute penalty appeared to salvage a deserved point for the Owls, who had Jacob Murphy sent off in time added on in a game where both teams hit the woodwork.
In an exciting start, Robson-Kanu sent a twisting header looping over the bar in the first 30 seconds, from winger Matt Phillips’s cross.
The Owls continued on the offensive, forcing three corners in quick succession, and from the second of them, centre back Julian Borner’s snapshot was deflected wide.
Then it was West Brom’s turn to attack, and Filip Krovinovic curled wide from the edge of the box after a smart backheel by Robson-Kanu.
Robson-Kanu stabbed Phillips’s low centre just wide from point-blank range as Albion tried to hit back immediately.
But the pendulum had suddenly swung in Wednesday’s favour and they went desperately close to taking the lead.
Left back Morgan Fox’s header smacked against the bar from substitute Adam Reach’s free kick with Johnstone beaten.
Albion hit the woodwork on 87 when Austin’s glancing header hit the post following Diangana’s cross.
