The Blues drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns to move back to second and three points from promotion back to the Premier League. The Baggies, who secured the point they needed to confirm their Championship status, had the better chances in the first half, but the visitors were on top in the second - former Albion defender Cedric Kipre having a goal rightly disallowed - and a draw was a fair result.

Town made two changes from the team which won 2-1 at Charlton on Wednesday with Kipre, one of three former Baggies players in the Town side and four in the squad, returning to the XI at the centre of the defence with Jacob Greaves moving to left-back and Ben Johnson to the bench with Leif Davis still out with his hamstring issue.

In the attack, Jack Clarke replaced Jaden Philogene, who was also among the subs with Wes Burns back in the squad following his calf injury and Sindre Walle Egeli missing out on a place in the 20.

West Brom, who went into the game needing a point to confirm safety following yesterday’s two-point deduction, made one change from the team which beat Watford 3-0 at home in midweek with Aune Heggebo coming in for Josh Maja.

Albion created the first chance in the second minute from a throw on the right, Jayson Molumby crossing and Nat Phillips looping a header well over.

Town began to see most of the ball and in the eighth minute Greaves took a pass down on his chest, beating his man as he did so, before firing a low ball across the West Brom box but with no one able to get on it.

A minute later, the former Hull City man was played into dangerous area by Clarke, another cross making its way to the back of the box without finding a Town player.

On 10, after an Albion break, Isaac Price struck a shot from just outside the area which deflected off one of his own players and behind.

The Blues were continuing to see most of the ball with most of the game in the home side’s half, but on 12 Price was found on the left of the Town area by Heggebo, however, the Northern Irish international’s shot scuffed through to Christian Walton.

Albion began to see most of the ball and in the 19th minute Ousmane Diakite unleashed a shot from 25 yards which was too close to Walton, who claimed not entirely comfortably.

Diakite dropped to the turf immediately and received treatment, but was eventually OK to continue, while the rest of the players went to the touchline for drinks on a hot afternoon.

The Baggies should have taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Greaves nodded a deep cross from the left down to Kipre, who hesitated and allowed Daryl Dike onto the ball. However, Walton was quickly off his line to block.

The Ivorian international was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 27th minute for a foul on Diakite, although he had appeared to have won the ball. Walton did well to punch the resultant free-kick clear.

Two minutes later, Azon chased a ball into space on the right and lifted the ball over keeper Max O’Leary, who had advanced out of his area, but without finding either a teammate or the net.

As the game reached the half-hour mark, another of Town’s former Albion players, Darnell Furlong, booed by his former fans like his fellow ex-Baggies, was found in space but his shot deflected off a teammate and wide.

West Brom created a decent opportunity a minute later, Danny Imray crossing from the right and Phillips heading powerfully straight at Walton, who claimed confidently.

Town were next to threaten with their best chance of the half. Greaves looped a deep cross to the far post where Kasey McAteer mishit his volley across the face to Ivan Azon, who sent the ball over the bar from a few yards when he should have found the target, the Spaniard showing his frustration at not having done so.

On 36, a looping Albion cross from deep on the left flashed across the Town area but beyond Dike at the far post.

Four minutes later, from the game’s first corner, Dara O’Shea, another former Baggies defender, headed Clarke’s ball in from the right into O’Leary’s arms from the edge of the area.

Albion will feel they ought to have gone in front in the 42nd minute when Heggebo fired wide from around 12 yards after a Dike shot from the right had deflected into the area.

Moments later, Baggies skipper Alex Mowatt struck an effort from distance which Walton saved down to his right.

That was the last action of a half which in terms of possession and spells in control had been even, but with Albion having had the better of the chances and Walton the busier of the two keepers.

The Baggies will feel they should have taken one of their opportunities with Dike, Heggebo and Price all having had chances they will feel they should have converted.

For Town, the one really clear chance was Azon’s from McAteer’s scuffed volley with little other than that to test O’Leary.

Albion were first to threaten after the break, Heggebo flicking a header from a corner on the left beyond the far post from a corner.

The home side were starting the half the stronger with the Blues struggling to clear their lines.

On 52, Danny Imray crossed from the right and Dike turned a first-time effort towards goal, Walton reacting sharply to palm it behind for a corner.

The Blues began to relieve the early Albion pressure, Greaves winning a corner on the left before a long Furlong throw from the right from which Town ought to have gone in front.

Greaves flicked it on towards Clarke, who was completely unmarked beyond the far post. The winger would have had a clear sight of goal from a few yards out, even if from a tight angle, but lost his footing and the chance was spurned.

Azor Matusiwa was booked for a foul on Molumby, then Dike joined him for jumping into O’Shea.

Clarke wasn’t too far away in the 61st minute, shuffling his way into a crowded box before hitting a shot which flew wide of O’Leary’s right post.

Two minutes later, Matusiwa found Furlong breaking into the right of the area but the full-back’s shot was too close to O’Leary.

Town, by now well on top against a tiring West Brom side, made their first two changes of the afternoon in the 65th minute, Philogene and Marcelino Nunez taking over from Clarke and Mehmeti.

The Blues had the ball in the net in the 70th minute but with the linesman’s flag raised. A corner on the left was cleared out to Philogene, who hit a powerful strike which O’Leary couldn’t hold onto and Kipre turned into the net, only for his celebrations to be cut short.

Albion made their first change in the 71st minute, Maja replacing Dike, then on 75 Town swapped Azon and McAteer for George Hirst and Burns.

In the 80th minute, as Town prepared to take a free-kick deep on the right after Burns had been fouled by Campbell, who had been booked, West Brom swapped captain Mowatt for Karlen Grant.

Nunez sent in the free-kick, Kipre’s header on the edge of the six-yard box but didn’t fall for O’Shea.

After the resultant corner had been half-cleared, Jack Taylor’s volley flew across the face and Hirst wasn’t able to get enough on it to divert it towards goal.

The second half had been virtually all Town with half-chances if not too many clear-cut opportunities having come regularly. On 86, a corner from the left was stabbed out to Philogene, but the former Aston Villa man’s shot was too high.

With two scheduled minutes remaining, West Brom swapped Heggebo for Tammer Bany.

The fourth official’s board indicated five additional minutes with the Blues the ones pressing for a winner against a Baggies side which had wilted as the afternoon had worn on in the heat, not helped by their lack of substitutions, or perhaps trusted options from the bench.

Greaves, once again Town’s man of the match, as much for his work on the ball as off it, was yellow-carded for preventing a West Brom break as injury time moved into its penultimate minute.

Referee Matt Donohue’s final whistle prompted a huge roar from the home support, their side having confirmed their Championship status, unusually for the second time in two matches, the points deduction having seen them back into potential trouble.

Town fans were similarly pleased, a draw from a tough away trip meaning the Blues are now effectively just three points from promotion with two games to play given their goal difference is superior to Millwall’s with the Lions having only one match left, at home to Oxford United, whose relegation has been confirmed, next Saturday.

Having allowed West Brom chances in the first half and having started the second period slowly, the Blues dominated the rest of the second and had chances to win it, although a draw was a fair result overall with the Baggies having had much the better of the opportunities before the break.

Albion extended their late-season unbeaten run to 10 matches, while keeping their fifth successive clean sheet and their seventh in eight matches, including three goalless draws.

Town now travel to fourth-placed Southampton on Tuesday with the Saints in FA Cup semi-final action at Wembley later this afternoon with a win at St Mary’s confirming a return to the Premier League at the first attempt and if not a victory over QPR next Saturday taking the Blues to their third promotion in three seasons.

West Brom: O’Leary, Imray, Campbell, Phillips, Styles, Molumby, Mowatt (c) (Grant 80), Diakite, Price, Dike (Maja 71), Heggebo (Bany 88). Unused: Griffiths, Gilchrist, Taylor, Jimoh-Aloba, Bostock, Sule.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves, Matusiwa, Taylor, McAteer (Burns 75), Mehmeti (Nunez 65), Clarke (Philogene 65), Azon (Hirst 75). Unused: Palmer, Neil, Cajuste, Johnson, Akpom. Referee: Matt Donohue (Manchester).

Photo: Action Images via Reuters