MARC-ANTOINE Fortune's deadly double wasn't enough to save Albion from a damaging defeat against fellow basement boys Newcastle.
Woeful Baggies defending allowed Damien Duff, Peter Lovenkrands and Steven Taylor to fire United into a 3-1 half-time lead, after Fortune had levelled in the fourth minute.
The on-loan Nancy striker reduced the arrears in the 73rd minute with his third goal in as many Barclays Premier League games, which capped a marvellous all-round individual performance.
But Albion couldn't muster a leveller as Newcastle sealed their first victory in seven matches.
Albion started the day just two points behind the 15th-placed Geordies, but the importance of today's clash was somewhat put into perspective by the absence of Joe Kinnear.
The Toon boss was taken into hospital this morning as a precaution after feeling unwell. Chris Hughton took charge of the team.
Mowbray rang three changes from the 2-2 draw at Hull, recalling fit-again Leon Barnett, Do-heon Kim and Carl Hoefkens in place of Ryan Donk, the injured Jay Simpson and the suspended Gianni Zuiverloon.
New loan signing Youssuf Mulumbu started on the bench, where he was joined by Luke Moore following a hamstring injury absence.
The Magpies made two changes, with new signings Ryan Taylor and Lovenkrands coming in for the suspended Jonas Gutierrez and Andy Carroll, who missed out altogether.
Albion got off to the worst possible start - conceding after only 73 seconds.
Barnett appeared to kick the ball against his own leg as he tried to cut out Shola Amoebi's attempted throughball and only succeeded in putting through Duff, who slipped the ball past the helpless Scott Carson.
The Baggies provided the perfect response, levelling just two minutes later.
Borja Valero seized on Nicky Butt's error to feed Fortune on the edge of the Newcastle box and the striker spun Steven Taylor before whipping the ball inside the far post with his left foot.
But the kamikaze defending from both sides continued and the hosts found themselves behind again in the ninth minute.
Barnett's attempted clearance from debut boy Ryan Taylor's mis-hit shot cannoned off central-defensive side-kick Abdoulaye Meite and fell perfectly for Lovenkrands, who slipped the ball home from eight yards.
It could have got worse on 15 when Meite failed to cut out Jose Enrique's diagonal ball, but stand-in skipper Paul Robinson came to the rescue by deflecting Ameobi's shot out for a corner.
Albion were struggling to find any rhythm but went close in the 26th minute.
Valero did well to hold the ball up and lay it into James Morrison's path and the Scotland international saw his low goalbound drive beat keeper Steve Harper but cannon to safety off Fabricio Coloccini, who was lurking on the edge of the six-yard box.
The ball eventually broke to Chris Brunt, who was just off target with a 25-yard shot.
Albion still looked suspect at the back, though, and were relieved to see Ryan Taylor shoot just wide from Kevin Nolan's neat lay-off.
Newcastle went close again on 37 when Carson, under pressure from Ryan Taylor, allowed Butt's awkward ball to creep through his legs, but the Baggies keeper recovered in time to smother.
But Albion had a mountain to climb in the 41st minute after going 3-1 down.
Steven Taylor was allowed to ghost in unmarked to head Ryan Taylor's corner goalwards and Valero, marshalling the left-hand post, was unable to stop the ball creeping in.
Mowbray, unsurprisingly, rang two changes at the break, with Roman Bednar and Filipe Teixeira coming on for Kim and Brunt.
Harper was called into an early, but comfortable, save when Robinson directed a looping header straight at him from Valero's corner.
Morrison then saw a 25-yard snapshot bend just wide.
Albion went much closer on 56 when Morrison sneaked in behind pal Ryan Taylor to control Hoefkens' centre, only to miss his kick with just Harper to beat, allowing the Toon keeper to block and gather.
United were very much happy to sit back and hit Albion on the break and they did just that on 67, with Duff skipping past Hoefkens before shooting just wide from a tight angle.
But Albion had a lifeline in the 73rd minute.
A terrific run by Teixeira saw the Portuguese playmaker find Fortune in the box and the on-loan Nancy forward held off Sebastien Bassong before drilling past Harper to make it 3-2.
Back came Newcastle and Carson had to pull off a vital save to deny Lovenkrands.
But Albion were now full of belief and began to attack with real purpose.
On 77, Valero came within a whisker of heading Albion level from Robinson's centre.
Both Fortune, on a hat-trick, and Morrison tested Harper with long-range drives in the closing stages, but the Toon No.13 was equal to both.
ALBION (4-4-1-1): Carson; Hoefkens, Barnett, Meite, Robinson; Koren, Kim (Teixeira HT), Valero (Moore 85), Brunt (Bednar HT); Morrison; Fortuné. Subs not used: Kiely (gk), Cech, Pele, Mulumbu.
NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper; S Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Enrique; R Taylor, Butt, Nolan, Duff; Lovenkrands (Xisco 90+1), Ameobi (Viduka 80). Subs not used: Forster (gk), Cacapa, Smith, Geremi, Edgar.
GOALS: ALBION - Fortune (4 & 73). NEWCASTLE - Duff (2), Lovenkrands (9), S Taylor (41).
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Barnett (unsporting behaviour 68), Koren (foul 78). NEWCASTLE - R Taylor (45+2), Nolan (unsporting behaviour 68).
REFEREE: C Foy (Merseyside).
ATTENDANCE: 25,817.
ALBION STARMAN: Marc-Antoine Fortune.
PIC: TWO GOOD...Fortune smashes home his second goal
