Ideye gives West Brom the edge against Swansea

Nigerian scores and creates a second days after club scrapped transfer to Qatari side

West Bromwich Albion 2 Swansea 0 The Qatari transfer window closes next Wednesday but it is safe to say that Brown Ideye will not be getting on a plane to the Middle East any time soon.

After pulling the plug on the Nigerian’s €5.1 million deal to join Al Gharafa on deadline day here, as their attempts to sign Carlton Cole collapsed at the 11th hour, West Bromwich Albion have been rewarded with two goals in as many games from the club-record signing who was previously a figure of ridicule.

He who followed up his equaliser at Burnley on Sunday with the opening goal of the night against a desperately disappointing Swansea side.

Albion grew in confidence from that moment on and went on to secure a crucial three points to lift them to 14th in the table, when Ideye rounded off an impressive performance by setting up Saido Berahino for his 15th goal of the season.

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Tony Pulis, the Albion head coach, must be starting to think it was a blessing that Cole was forced to return to east London. As for Swansea, it was hard to take any positives from a subdued display that smacked of a team enjoying the comfort of mid-table.

Albion are now heading in that direction.

The goal Albion supporters craved arrived on the hour mark. Stephane Sessegnon, who had replaced the injured McManaman two minutes earlier, darted infield and released Saido Berahino in the inside left channel.

Berahino moved the ball onto Ideye and although Ashley Williams managed to partially block the striker’s first attempt, Ideye drilled a low shot beyond Fabianski and into the far corner. Berahino’s goal put the game beyond the visitors. He exchanged passes with Ideye before firing a splendid first-time shot inside Fabianski’s near post. Guardian Service