Club News

Albion 3 Swansea City 1

Albion seventh in league table on 23 points

  • Rondon heads hat-trick (50, 61, 63)
  • First Baggies treble for Venezuela international
  • Brunt (2) and Phillips with assists
  • Albion Star Man: Salomon Rondon
  • Attendance: 21,467
SALOMON Rondon headed his first Albion hat-trick to secure a 3-1 victory over Swansea City at The Hawthorns - the club's 100th Premier League victory.

The Baggies No.9, having twice come close in the first period, nodded home three headers in the space of 13 second-half minutes to ensure the Baggies moved on to a more than impressive 23 points after 16 games of the season.  

Chris Brunt claimed two assists from the left while Matt Phillips was yet again a provider as Tony Pulis' side got back to winning ways - making it 13 points from the last six matches - to climb back up to seventh place in the table.

Wayne Routledge netted a consolation for the visiting Swans but the night belonged to Albion and their Venezuela international striker.

The game's first real chance came shortly after the half-hour mark as Nacer Chadli played through Rondon but his low effort was blocked by the legs of Lukasz Fabianski.

A defensive mix-up almost saw Brunt put through his own net while, at the other end, Albion did put the ball over the line only to be denied by the assistant's flag.

The final chance of a largely low-key first period fell to Rondon, who was sent clear by James Morrison only to be eventually denied by a good block courtesy of Jordi Amat. 

Yet, the powerful frontman was not to be denied a third time and he headed home Phillips' free-kick five minutes into the second period.

He then took control by heading home two identical goals from the left-foot of Brunt in the space of three minutes just after the hour mark.

Routledge put City on the scoresheet in the 78th minute but Albion claimed all three points to continue their fine form. 

Albion: Foster; Nyom, McAuley, Olsson, Brunt; Yacob, Fletcher (c); Chadli (McClean 71), Morrison (Gardner 77), Phillips; Rondon (Robson-Kanu 85).

Subs: Palmer; Galloway, Harper, Leko.

Swansea: Fabianski, Rangel, Mawson, Amat, Taylor, Fulton, Britton (Cork 72), Routledge, Sigurdsson, Montero (Barrow 64), Llorente (Borja 72).

Subs: Nordfeldt, van der Hoorn, Fer, Naughton.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)