MX23RW : Friday, December 28 10:06:22
Dec 22, 2018 at 3pm UK at ​AESSEAL New York Stadium (Rotherham, South Yorkshire)
RotherhamRotherham United
0-4
West BromWest Bromwich Albion
FT(HT: 0-3)
Gayle (6', 44', 54'), Barnes (20')

Result: Baggies brilliant as they run Rotherham ragged

Result: Baggies brilliant as they run Rotherham ragged
© Reuters
Promotion hopefuls put on a show.

Dwight Gayle fired a hat-trick as West Brom continued their Sky Bet Championship promotion charge with a 4-0 rout of lowly Rotherham.

Gayle scored twice in the first half as the Baggies had the game sewn up by the break, with Harvey Barnes also finding the net.

The former Newcastle striker completed his first Albion hat-trick after the break as Darren Moore's side posted a fourth away win on the spin, which keeps them hot on the heels of Leeds and Norwich in the automatic promotion places.

For the Millers, their nine-game unbeaten run at the AESSEAL New York Stadium was ended in miserable fashion and just one win in 16 games leaves them looking over their shoulder, with Ryan Manning missing a late penalty.

The Baggies enjoyed the perfect start as they went ahead in just the sixth minute.

Clark Robertson was adjudged to have fouled Gayle 20 yards out and the striker stepped up to send the resulting free-kick under the wall and into the bottom corner for his 11th goal of the season.

Rotherham produced a spirited response and came close to equalising four minutes later when a corner was cleared to Manning and he cut inside and sent a thundering effort into the post, with Semi Ajayi's shot from the rebound then cleared off the line by Craig Dawson.

Not getting themselves level proved costly as West Brom doubled the lead in the 20th minute with consummate ease.

Barnes ghosted through a gaping hole in the home defence, slipped in Jay Rodriguez, whose shot hit the post, but Leicester loanee Barnes did what Ajayi could not and fire home the rebound.

Albion made it an opening 45 minutes to remember on the stroke of half-time as they extended their lead further.

Matt Phillips whipped in a free-kick from the left and Gayle got in front of his marker and poked home.

Gayle completed his treble nine minutes after the restart, but he had Millers goalkeeper Marek Rodak to thank for a terrible gaffe.

Trying to prevent a corner, Rodak scrambled to his left but inexcusably dropped the ball, allowing Gayle to snatch an early Christmas present by tapping into an empty net.

The Millers tried to restore some pride and Michael Smith forced keeper Sam Johnstone into a brilliant save to keep out a header and then Robertson saw another effort cleared off the line.

They had no better chance than the 76th-minute penalty, awarded after a foul by Tosin Adarabioyo on Richie Towell, but Manning hit the post and West Brom cleared.

Barnes and Hal Robson-Kanu went close to making it a record defeat at the New York Stadium for Rotherham, but they had to settle for four.

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Suspicious West Bromwich Albion manager Darren Moore pictured on December 3, 2018
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds24156342222051
2Norwich CityNorwich24146444291548
3West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom24136552312145
4Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd24125739281141
5Middlesbrough2410952517839
6Derby CountyDerby2411673328539
7Birmingham CityBirmingham24910537271037
8Queens Park RangersQPR2411493132-137
9Aston Villa249964637936
10Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2481243526936
11Stoke CityStoke2481063029134
12Bristol City248882928132
13Swansea CitySwansea2495102928132
14Blackburn RoversBlackburn2471073137-631
15Hull City2486102833-530
16Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds2486103040-1030
17Preston North EndPreston2477103640-428
18Brentford2468103535026
19Wigan AthleticWigan2474132335-1225
20Millwall2457122939-1022
21Rotherham UnitedRotherham24410102339-1622
22Bolton WanderersBolton2456131732-1521
23Reading2447132737-1019
24Ipswich TownIpswich2429131941-2215

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