Josh Maja haunts former loan club Stoke to maintain West Brom’s unbeaten start

Posted Sunday, August 25, 2024 by PA

West Brom continued their unbeaten start to the Sky Bet Championship season as they claimed their second successive away victory in a 2-1 triumph at Stoke.

A frantic first half saw the Baggies take the lead through Karlan Grant before the hosts levelled the game after on-loan Liverpool man Lewis Koumas netted on his home debut.

Less than two minutes later, West Brom were back in front as Josh Maja’s sweetly struck effort whistled past Viktor Johansson just after the half-hour mark.

After losing to Watford last weekend, Steven Schumacher will not want defeats to become a habit so early into a new season.

Lynden Gooch provided a wake-up call before Carlos Corberan’s side spring into life and in the 18th minute, they took the lead.

After some tidy footwork by Tom Fellows on the right, he clipped a delicious ball to the far post – which deceived Johansson – for Grant to nod home for his first goal of the season.

The visitors almost doubled their lead moments later when Fellows was put through by Maja, he squeezed his shot under Johansson, but a sensational clearance on the goal-line by Eric Bocat kept the deficit at one.

From nearly conceding at one end, Stoke went up the other end to score an equaliser.

Million Manhoef was a thorn in the Baggies side throughout, his defence-splitting pass fell perfectly for Koumas to delicately guide the ball into the bottom left corner of Alex Palmer’s goal.

Parity did not last long as two minutes after the leveller, West Brom retook the lead.

Again it was Fellows causing problems down the Potters’ left as his cross found Maja, whose first-time finish gave the goalkeeper no chance.

The scoreline should have been level again in the 33rd minute.

Koumas was put through on goal once again, but he could not repeat his heroics moment earlier, this time his effort hitting the right post before Manhoef fired over from six yards with an open goal at his mercy.

The visitors nearly extended their lead five minutes into the second half when Alex Mowatt took aim from just outside the box, but his attempt sailed just wide of Johansson’s left post.

After some sloppy football from the visitors, Koumas, who is the son of former West Brom and Wales midfielder Jason, rattled a right-footed effort off one of Palmer’s posts for the second time in the game.

Boos rung out at full-time by the home support, clearly unimpressed with recent performances.

However, for the Baggies, they are into the play-off places after securing seven points in their first three Championship games.