Match Reports

Cardiff City 0-1 Albion

An image of Jeremy Sarmiento celebrating his goal against Cardiff

Albion made it successive Sky Bet Championship triumphs with an impressive 1-0 win at Cardiff on Tuesday evening.

The Baggies earned all three points thanks to Jeremy Sarmiento’s stunning second half strike - as well as another important clean sheet.

Next up, Carlos Corberán’s men, who are now third in the table, welcome league leaders Leicester City to The Hawthorns this Saturday.

The boss named two changes from Saturday’s impressive win against Ipswich, switching midfield duo Sarmiento and John Swift in for Matt Phillips and Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Following a quiet opening 30 minutes, the game suddenly burst into life via a scintillating Albion counter-attack. Sarmiento was the man tasked with finishing it off, but his low poke agonisingly hit the post and was scrambled away.

Cardiff then went close down the other end, Josh Bowler forcing Alex Palmer into a decent stop to deny his finish, and, in truth, neither side went close to breaking the deadlock again ahead of half-time.

That all changed five minutes after the interval, though, thanks to a fantastic Sarmiento goal. The winger cut in from the left and curled home a superb effort - right in front of the travelling Baggies - netting his second of the season and giving Albion the lead.

Corberán’s men managed to control the game and keep Cardiff at bay for most of the second period, and even had a chance to put the game to bed towards the end, Thomas-Asante nodding over when only a few yards out.

The hosts did eventually threaten during stoppage time - however Rubin Colwill’s low shot went well wide, and Manolis Siopis volleyed off-target, meaning Albion saw it out to claim the victory.

Albion: Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu (Molumby 74), Mowatt; Sarmiento (Phillips 65), Swift (Maja 74), Diangana (Fellows 65); Wallace (Thomas-Asante 21).

Substitutes: Griffiths, Ajayi, Pipa, Chalobah.