A second-half goal by Craig Gardner has given struggling West Bromwich Albion a narrow 1-0 win against ten-man Aston Villa in this afternoon's Premier League clash at the Hawthorns.
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After a tentative start from both sides, the first concrete chance on goal fell to the hosts on the quarter-hour mark, as they saw Sebastien Pocognoli force a smart save from Brad Guzan at his near post.
Controversy then befell the game as Villa's Kieran Richardson was sent off for a challenge on Stephane Sessegnon, with the former Baggies man deemed to have shown his studs as he clattered into the midfielder.
Alan Irvine's charges dominated possession thereafter, with Andre Wisdom's cross nearly falling to the recalled Brown Ideye just after the half-hour mark.
At the other end, however, Gabriel Agbonlahor had a good chance for Villa, but his effort was charged down near goal in the 38th minute.
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Just before injury time, Guzan pulled off a fine save to deny Sessegnon's first-time shot, following good work by Pocognoli.
In the 58th minute, Ideye looked poised to head home Sessegnon's inch-perfect cross, but the striker decided to lift his foot to poke home when it appeared a perfect height for a header, and the chance went amiss.
Seven minutes later, the Nigerian squandered another great chance when he latched onto Silvestre Varela's ball, but his wild left-footed volley from six yards out soared over the crossbar.
West Brom finally made the breakthrough in the 72nd minute, as the rebound from an Ideye shot fell kindly for former Villa midfielder Gardner, who fired through a crowd of defenders and into the back of the net.
Seven minutes later, however, the visitors very nearly equalised when Christian Benteke produced an inventive flick which dipped just wide of Ben Foster's post.
A first win in six means that West Brom climb to 14th place in the Premier League table, three points away from the drop zone, and just two places below Villa.
Giuseppe Labellarte
