If there were any concerns about Ryan Mason’s ability to mix it in the cut and thrust of the Championship in his maiden managerial role, then this battling West Brom victory, which punctured the mood at early pacesetters Stoke, ought to silence them.
Mason had seen two vital members of his side depart in the days before the trip to the Potteries and had to watch from the stands as he served a touchline suspension. That did not prevent his team torpedoing Stoke’s 100% start to the campaign with a win which was as hard-fought as it was deserved, as Nat Phillips’ 14th-minute goal from a set piece proved the difference.
