Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 1, Hull City 0.
West BromWest Bromwich Albion1HullHull City0
- Berahino's ninth Premier League goal of the season
- Hull lose strikers Jelavic and Hernandez to injury
- Tigers drop to 18th in the Premier League
- Baggies win in Pulis's first league match in charge
Tony Pulis won his first Premier League match as West Brom manager as Saido Berahino's goal saw off Hull City.
Berahino netted with a low strike from 12 yards from an indirect free-kick after Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor picked up Ahmed Elmohamady's back-pass.
West Brom's Brown Ideye should have scored earlier on but dragged his shot wide with only McGregor to beat.
Hull created few chances after strikers Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez both suffered first-half injuries.
However, the defeat was harsh on Hull and manager Steve Bruce will be furious with the goal they conceded as Elmohamady needlessly touched the ball back to McGregor just before the keeper could pick it up.
But the Baggies took full advantage as substitute Victor Anichebe nudged a pass to Berahino to blast the ball past a number of away defenders on the goalline.
The result sees Hull drop to 18th in the Premier League, only two points above bottom side Leicester City.
Bruce could also be forced to strengthen his attacking options after Robbie Brady and Tom Ince played as emergency strikers after both Jelavic and Hernandez went off in the first half.
Apart from a Brady effort that was pushed over the crossbar by Ben Foster, Hull were restricted to speculative attempts from outside the penalty area that went well off target.
| Pulis gets the Baggies bouncing |
|---|
| West Brom's win was only their second in their last 11 Premier League games. |
Meanwhile for Pulis, who took charge at the Hawthorns earlier this month to replace the sacked Alan Irvine, he will be desperate to keep hold of England Under-21 striker Berahino.
The 21-year-old has been linked with a January move to either Tottenham or Liverpool and was instrumental in his side's best moves.
He should have done better than shoot wide from 10 yards out after a one-two with Stephane Sessegnon and then twice had efforts comfortably saved by McGregor.
But the Hull keeper should have been picking the ball out of the net in the 41st minute.
Ideye chased on to Berahino's through ball, but with only the Scot to beat, the Nigerian forward, who has only scored once in 11 Premier League games since a £10m move to the Baggies, dragged a horrible shot well wide.
Luckily for Ideye, that miss did not prove costly as Berahino's 78th-minute winner took West Brom up to 14th.
Pulis has never been relegated in his managerial career and this was the perfect start as he tries to keep that record intact.
Line-ups
West Brom
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Foster
- 2Wisdom
- 23McAuley
- 6Lescott
- 4Baird
- 11Brunt
- 5YacobBooked at 35mins
- 7Morrison
- 29SessegnonSubstituted forGardnerat 76'minutes
- 18Berahino
- 9IdeyeSubstituted forAnichebeat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Gardner
- 10Anichebe
- 13Myhill
- 15Pocognoli
- 17Dorrans
- 25Dawson
- 30Samaras
Hull
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McGregor
- 5Chester
- 4Bruce
- 6Davies
- 3Figueroa
- 27El Mohamady
- 7Meyler
- 14Livermore
- 29QuinnSubstituted forHuddlestoneat 78'minutes
- 9HernándezSubstituted forInceat 39'minutes
- 18JelavicSubstituted forBradyat 33'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Huddlestone
- 11Brady
- 12Maguire
- 15McShane
- 21Dawson
- 22Harper
- 23Ince
- Referee:
- Neil Swarbrick
- Attendance:
- 24,818
Match Stats
Home TeamWest BromAway TeamHull
- Possession
- Home52%
- Away48%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home5
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 1, Hull City 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Tom Ince (Hull City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by James Chester.
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Foul by Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion).
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Curtis Davies (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by James Chester.
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Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Victor Anichebe tries a through ball, but James Morrison is caught offside.
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Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Ahmed Elmohamady.
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Attempt blocked. James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Victor Anichebe with a headed pass.
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Offside, Hull City. Ahmed Elmohamady tries a through ball, but Robbie Brady is caught offside.
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Foul by James Chester (Hull City).
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Victor Anichebe (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt missed. David Meyler (Hull City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution
Substitution, Hull City. Tom Huddlestone replaces Stephen Quinn.
Goal!
Goal! West Bromwich Albion 1, Hull City 0. Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Back pass by Allan McGregor (Hull City).
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(West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Craig Gardner replaces Stéphane Sessegnon.
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Attempt blocked. Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Tom Ince (Hull City) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross.
