Town dropped to the bottom of the First Division with a dismal 4-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion. Two goals in the first 15 minutes, one from former Blue Thomas Gaardsøe, virtually assured the Baggies a win. Richard Naylor got one back for Town at 3-1 but that was scant comfort on another depressing afternoon.

The Blues started reasonably brightly but West Brom's Sean Gregan had the first effort on goal, a shot from 25 yards which Kelvin Davis saved with little trouble. Soon after Lee Hughes put the ball over the bar from a similar distance.

However, a West Brom goal wasn't long in coming. In the 10th Bernt Haas broke quickly down the right and sent in a low ball for James O'Connor. Alan Mahon did well to take the ball from the former Stoke player and Drissa Diallo sent the ball out for a corner from which Thomas Gaardsøe put his new side ahead.

The Dane was left unmarked at the back of the box and he powerfully headed beyond Davis who was unsighted, Joost Volmer doing his best to stand in his way. It was a poor goal to concede, although perhaps inevitable that Gaardsøe would have a role to play, but would not be the only time the Blues would fail to defend a set piece.

On the quarter hour the home side went two goals up. Jason Koumas sent in a freekick from the left which Kelvin Davis appeared to have claimed low to his left. However, the former Wimbledon keeper lost his grip, as he has on a number of occasions this season, and Rob Hulse followed up, probably not believing his luck.

It could have been worse for Town, largely under the cosh for much of the half, when Thomas Gaardsøe hit the bar with a shot from a corner whilst grounded. The Dane complained that he had been obstructed as he attempted to get his shot in.

Town gained a number of freekicks on the edge of the area as the game reached the half hour. Alan Mahon curled the first just over the bar from wide on the right before Chris Bart-Williams hit a shot into the wall after Volmer had been shown a yellow card for a foul on Couñago.

The Spaniard came close not long after the freekick, a low Jim Magilton cross giving him the opportunity to take a shot from a tight angle, Russell Hoult saving at his near post.

On 33 Rob Hulse got himself in the book for pointlessly kicking the ball away after being picked up for offside.

As the half ended Town had a lot of possession but without creating too much, although Mahon sent a low ball across the penalty area but there was no Town foot to stab home. Bart-Williams had a strike charged down and then sent an edge of the area freekick over the bar after Alun Armstrong had been fouled.

Half-time was greeted with boos and Joe Royle switched the ineffective Pablo Couñago for Darren Bent.

There was a further scare for Town on 50 when Rob Hulse escaped beyond the Blues' defence, Drissa Diallo feeling a flag should have gone up with Lee Hughes in an offside position behind him. Presumably he was considered not interfering with play despite being only a few yards from the ball. Fortunately for Town Kelvin Davis was out quickly to smother at Hulse's feet.

On 54 Hulse hit a shot which Davis saved easily and then Hoult similarly had little problem with a Jermaine Wright effort from 20 yards at the other end.

West Brom went further ahead in the 56th minute, Rob Hulse rising above everyone in the box to head in his second of the game from a corner on the left, the Blues' marking once more lacking.

Darren Bent's pace had caused Town have a more dangerous look about them in attack in the second half and in the 57th minute he ought to have done better when a Mahon corner fell to him at the far post. However, the out of form striker failed to either shoot or take the ball down.

Five minutes later another Mahon corner saw Town get one back. The loanee's well struck kick was powerfully headed in from three yards out by Richard Naylor. It was Town's first away goal since Matt Holland's at Derby on the last day of last season, but was little consolation on a dismal day.

Darren Bent is still looking for his first goal of the season and he could have done better when Jermaine Wright put through a fine pass in the 66th minute. However, lacking confidence, he gave Hoult little trouble with his shot.

Town ought to have had a penalty in the 73rd minute when Alun Armstrong broke away on the left and crossed low towards Darren Bent. Inexplicably Thomas Gaardsøe dived and stopped the ball two-handed, something incredibly missed by both referee Foy and his linesman.

Soon after Joe Royle brought Georges Santos for Alun Armstrong who appeared to have pulled a hamstring. The Frenchman booed loudly by the home fans recalling his clashes with Andy Johnson in the past. West Brom had earlier brought on Artim Sakiri to a similar reaction from Town fans. Richard Naylor pushed up into the attack alongside Bent.

With 15 minutes to go Neil Clement forced a save from Davis with a shot from a tight angle on the right. A minute later Dean Bowditch replaced Alan Mahon. The Blackburn man had had some dangerous moments and created the Town goal with a whipped across corner. On 81 Chris Bart-Williams was yellow carded for a foul on Bernt Haas.

Drissa Diallo would complete the scoring, unfortunately at the wrong end, when he cut out a Clement cross from the left, heading back to where he though Kelvin Davis would be. Sadly the keeper had left his line to catch the cross and the Guinean's header trickled over the line.

In the closing minutes the Blues could have added to Naylor's goal. A Wright corner led to a scramble where Naylor, then Bent and then Naylor again all had attempts at goal either saved or cleared off the line. Jim Magilton pulled an excellent save from Hoult, the keeper tipping his curler over the bar.

But it was too little too late on an afternoon when defensive frailties from set-pieces handed Albion the three points within the first 15 minutes. Thomas Gaardsøe's goal was all too predictable while Davis' error for the second was typical of the mistakes seen too often last season from his predecessor.

Town passed the ball around well at times but, particularly in the first half, to very little effect, while West Brom's incisive and more direct approach paid dividends with Hulse and Hughes always proving a handful.

Chris Bart-Williams seemed to grow as the game went on but once again the midfield were hardly the most creative. Jermaine Wright drifted inside much of the time leaving little option wide on the right.

Throughout the side there seems a shocking lack of confidence with poor movement off the ball and a reluctance to shoot when in possession on the edge of the area.

Boos, calls for the chairman's head and the board to go once again dominated as the Blues' crowd exited the ground.

Town have not been bottom of Division One (by our reckoning) since the 1950s. An improved performance against Walsall on Tuesday will ensure that our stay in 24th position is a short one. It could be a very long season indeed.

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